Center for International Private Enterprise

Peanut Dessert

Name: Peanut Dessert (Harissa/Harisa)
Yield: 4 servings (makes 10 to 12 pieces)
Cuisine: Yemen
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon vanilla powder; 1 cup (230 milliliters) water; 4 cups (600 grams) shelled and peeled peanuts; 2 teaspoons rose water; 2 cups (400 grams) sugar; 1 tablespoon wheat starch; 5 whole cloves, crushed with the side of the knife; 1 tablespoon (14 milliliters) fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, a pinch reserved for garnish; Blanched almonds, for garnish (optional); 2½ tablespoons (40 milliliters) vegetable oil

Harissa/Harisa

Preparation info

4
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Cuisine of Life

By Center for International Private Enterprise

Published 2019

About

Traditional sweets such as this harissa are popular in southern Yemen — but since it’s not available in Turkish markets, Fatima started to make her own. Harissa is typically served after lunch with qisher, a type of unsweetened coffee prepared from coffee peels.

Ingredients

4 cups (600 grams) shelled and peeled peanuts
5 whole cloves, crushed with the side of the knife

Asia
Yemen
Dessert
Spring
Summer
Vegan
Autumn
Winter

Method

Grind the peanuts and cloves into a powder in a food processor. Combine the sugar, water, lemon juice and wheat starch in a saucepan and bring to a strong simmer, whisking to dissolve the sugar and starch. Simmer for 10 minutes, to thicken. Add the ground peanuts, rose water, vanilla powder, and ground cardamom to the saucepan, stirring to combine.

Pour the oil into a