Harissa

Name: Harissa
Cuisine: Tunisian
Ingredients: 250 g (9 oz) fresh red chillies, roughly chopped; cloves from 1 head of garlic: peeled and roughly chopped; 1 tbsp caraway seeds; 2 tsp cumin seeds; 2–3 tbsp olive oil; ½ bunch fresh coriander; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tbsp dried mint; 1 tbsp coriander seeds

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The North African Kitchen

By Fiona Dunlop

Published 2008

About

Harissa is a fiery chilli paste that Tunisians love dolloping into their soups and stews. You can buy tinned harissa (a simple mix of chilli peppers, olive oil, garlic and salt) at the supermarket: but you can also make a superior version with a greater depth of flavour. The following recipe makes a good quantity to store away:

Ingredients

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp caraway seeds
2 tsp

Africa
Tunisia
Spice Mix
Vegan
Mediterranean
North Africa
Gluten-free

Method

Toast the seeds quickly in a saucepan without any oil for about 2 minutes until you can smell the aromas. Pound them into a powder using a pestle and mortar. Blend this with the remaining ingredients in a food processor, adding enough olive oil to make a stiff paste. Put in a sterilized jar, pouring a thin layer of olive oil over the surface to prevent it from drying out, then store in the refr