Harissa

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Place the dried red chillies in a heatproof bowl, pour over the hot water and leave to soften for 10 minutes. For a milder harissa, carefully remove all the seeds first.

   35 g, deseeded dried red chillies60 ml hot water
2. 2

   Wash, deseed and roughly chop the red pepper. Peel the garlic.

   1 large, about 150 g red pepper3 cloves garlic
3. 3

   Toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and caraway seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Do not let them darken, or they will taste bitter.

   1 tsp coriander seeds1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp caraway seeds
4. 4

   Place the red pepper, garlic and toasted spices in a blender. Drain the soaked chillies and add them as well.

   1 large, about 150 g red pepper3 cloves garlic1 tsp coriander seeds1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp caraway seeds
5. 5

   Add the tomato purée, smoked paprika, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Blend to a thick, as-smooth-as-possible paste, adding a little of the soaking water by the teaspoonful if needed.

   2 tbsp tomato purée1 tsp smoked paprika2 tbsp lemon juice3 tbsp olive oil1 tsp salt
6. 6

   Taste the harissa. It should be hot, smoky, warmly spiced and slightly tangy. For a finer texture, blend for longer; for a more rustic paste, blend only briefly.

7. 7

   Transfer to a clean jar, smooth the surface and cover with a thin layer of olive oil. Use immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator.

Origin & History

Harissa originates in Tunisia and is one of North Africa’s best-known spice pastes. Traditionally made with dried chillies, garlic, spices and olive oil, it is served with couscous, soups, stews and fish.