Harissa is a spicy sauce prepared with chillies, it is native to North Africa and is particularly popular in Tunisia. It is used to flavor many different foods, such as soups, stews, fish dishes, meat and vegetables that contain chickpeas and couscous. There are several regional variations of the sauce, but the basic ingredients are always the same: red peppers, chilli and spices.
Ingrediants
Basic Recipe
- 1 red pepper
- Half a teaspoon of coriander seeds
- Half a teaspoon of cumin seeds
- Half a teaspoon of caraway seeds
- 20 ml of olive oil
- 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
- 3 red chillies, fresh, seeded and chopped
- 10 g of tomato paste
- 30 ml of fresh lemon juice
- A pinch of salt
Harissa Spiced
- 8 dried guajillo peppers
- 8 dried Mexican chillies
- A pinch of coriander seeds
- A pinch of cumin seeds
- A pinch of caraway seeds
- 5 g of dried mint leaves
- 45 ml of olive oil
- 10 g of salt
- 5 cloves of garlic
- Juice of one lemon
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Basic Recipe
Step 1. Roast the red pepper
Place the baking sheet on the top shelf and preheat the grill to maximum temperature. Put the pepper in a baking dish and grill it for 20-25 minutes, taking care to turn it every 5 minutes for even cooking; the vegetable is ready when it is soft, well cooked and black on the outside.
- You can also roast it directly over the flame of the gas stove; expose it to medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes, turning it occasionally.
- When the pepper is cooked, remove it from the heat or oven, transfer it to a heat-resistant bowl and cover the bowl with cling film. Let the steam envelop the vegetables and let them cool for 20 minutes; once cold, you can remove the peel with your fingers and remove the seeds.
Step 2. Toast and grind the spices
Reduce the heat on the stove and place an empty pan on it. When it is hot, add the coriander seeds and the two types of cumin; stir frequently to prevent them from burning and continue cooking for three minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the seeds into a spice grinder, pulsing it several times until you get a powder; alternatively, you can use pestle and mortar
Step 3. Cook the onions with the garlic and chillies
Pour the olive oil into the hot pan you used to toast the spices and place it on the stove over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook them for about 10 minutes; they must become slightly dark and caramelize.
- You can use any type of red pepper for this preparation, the level of spiciness of the sauce depends precisely on the variety of this ingredient.
- The delicate peppers are poblano, chipotle, cascabel and those from which paprika is obtained.
- The medium strong ones are cayenne pepper, habanero, tabasco and Thai.
- Strong chillies include Bhut jolokia and Trinidad scorpion.
Step 4. Blend the ingredients
Transfer them to a blender or food processor and, at the beginning, work them at low speed, gradually increasing it to medium level as the products mix; continue like this until you get a smooth paste.
- Add more olive oil if you need to run the appliance blades better.
- Other ingredients you can incorporate in this step include sun-dried tomatoes and a couple of fresh mint leaves.
- If you don't have a blender or food processor, put the foods in a bowl and puree them with a hand blender.
Step 5. Transfer the mixture to a jar and place in the refrigerator
Once a smooth paste is obtained, harissa is ready to consume or store for future use. Place the leftovers in a clean jar, add a thin layer of oil to preserve them, and close the airtight cap.
Harissa can be kept in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks; when you use it, add a little more oil to the surface before resealing the container
Method 2 of 2: Spiced Harissa
Step 1. Remove the stems and seeds from the chillies
Use a pair of scissors or a sharp knife to remove the apical portion and to open the body of the peppers; scrape away the seeds and fibrous portions with your fingers or a spoon.
If you want a spicier sauce, you can leave some seeds, but they don't blend very well and you should remove them
Step 2. Soften them
Place the chillies in a medium-sized bowl and submerge them in boiling water; cover them with a clean tea towel and let them soak for 20 minutes or until soft.
After 20 minutes, drain and store the water
Step 3. Toast the spices
Place an empty pan on the stove over medium-low heat; when it is hot, add the coriander seeds and the two types of cumin. Toast them for about 4 minutes, stirring often to prevent them from burning.
When the spices are ready, transfer them along with the mint to a grinder or mortar to reduce them to a fine powder
Step 4. Turn the ingredients into a puree
Mix them and use a traditional blender, hand blender, or food processor to make them a smooth paste. If you need to dilute the mixture and spin the appliance blades better, pour in some of the water you used to soften the peppers.
Optional ingredients that you can integrate at this stage include a few drops of rose water, a sprinkle of freshly squeezed lemon juice, or a few pieces of canned lemon
Step 5. Serve and store the harissa
To keep it for future use, transfer it to a clean jar with an airtight seal and cover it with a layer of olive oil; place the container in the refrigerator. This preparation lasts up to three weeks.
