Harissa is a hot chili paste or thick sauce from North Africa. It is absolutely addictive with tagines or couscous dishes needing some heat. Normally it is sold in tubes or small tins. I have seen it only once in Nairobi. It was at Springfield butchery at ABC plaza.
So by necessity I do it myself. Warning, it is the only recipe which I found boring and seriously tedious to make. Yes, deseeding chili is a slow process. However, the reward is a fantastic and high quality product. My friends love it.
Needed
- 250 gr of dry red chili
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 2 garlic cloves – passed through a garlic press
- 1 tsp. of coriander powder
- 1 tsp. of caraway seed
- 10 ml of olive oil
- ½ tsp. of cumin powder
Method
- Remove the seeds from the pod. That is the slow and tedious part
- Reserve the seeds for other use like to sprinkle on pizzas
- Pulse the empty pods in a food processor. It is much easier to pulse them while dry
- Rinse and clean the pods in fresh water. Pour out the water and place them in a clean bowl and pour hot water on them. Let soften for 15 minutes. Rinse and squeeze out all the water and return to the food processor
- Add salt, garlic clove, coriander, caraway and cumin. Pulse to a fine paste
- Return to the bowl, add olive oil and mix. Store in a jar and place in a refrigerator. It will last a couple of weeks and even much longer if well stored.
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250 grams of dried red chiles is indeed a lot to deseed…
I’ve been seeking a harissa recipe to try out…looks like this is the one! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
This recipe always work for me. Do shred the empty pods in a food processor while dry. When the pods are wet they are difficult to process. Cheers.
Thanks for the tip…you probably just saved me much frustration. 😉
LOVE harissa. Yours looks fab!
It is boring to make but the result is fantastic. Cheers
Just the recipe I need 🙂 thank you
I am sure you will like it. Cheers.
Love your recipe.. Love Harissa too !
Thanks. Cheers
Never thought of caraway though
I love the perfume of caraway. I use it sometimes when I make lamb couscous.
Very good idea. That’s going on the list ..