Harissa is a type of chili paste that originates from the northern part of Africa and is very popular for consumption in Tunisia. For spicy lovers, adding a little harissa to meat, soups, fish and stir-fried vegetables is guaranteed to boost your appetite in an instant! Although some regions have their own variations, the basic raw materials used remain the same, namely red chili, cayenne pepper or other chili that has a spicy taste, and various spices such as coriander and cumin. Interested in executing the recipe? Read on for the article below!
Ingredients
Classic Harissa
- 1 red chili
- tsp. coriander seeds
- tsp. cumin seeds
- tsp. jemuju seeds (a type of cumin but darker in color and more bitter in taste)
- 1½ tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
- 3 curly red chilies, seeds removed and coarsely chopped
- 1½ tsp. tomato paste
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- tsp. salt
Spicy Harissa
- 8 dried guajillo chilies
- 8 dried New Mexico chilies
- tsp. jemuju seeds
- tsp. coriander seeds
- tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 tsp. dried mint leaves
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1½ tsp. kosher salt
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 lemon, squeeze the juice
Step
Method 1 of 2: Making a Classic Harissa
Step 1. Roast the red chilies
Place the oven rack on the highest position and set the oven to broiler mode on high. Once the oven is hot, place the red chilies in the pan and place the pan in the oven; roast the chilies for 20-25 minutes. Turn the chilies every 5 minutes to ensure they are fully cooked. Chili is ready to be processed when it is perfectly cooked, the texture is softened, and the inside is darker in color.
- If you don't have an oven, you can also burn the chili directly on the stove. Turn on the stove, burn the chili for 10 minutes, turning it occasionally so it doesn't burn.
- Once the chili is cooked, place it in a heatproof bowl and cover the surface of the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the hot steam circulate in the bowl for 20 minutes; After 20 minutes (and once the chili has cooled down), peel the skin off with your hands and remove the seeds from the chili.
Step 2. Roast and mash the spices used
Heat a dry skillet over low heat; after the surface of the pan is hot, roast the jemuju seeds, coriander seeds, and cumin seeds while stirring occasionally so they don't burn. Do this process for about 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and put the three types of seeds into the grain grinder. Process several times until the texture turns into a powder; If you don't have a grinding machine, you can also grind the seeds with the help of a mortar
Step 3. Sauté the onions, garlic, and chilies
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic, and chilies; stir-fry the three ingredients for 10 minutes or until the aroma is fragrant and the color turns brown.
- Basically, you can use any chili to practice this recipe. But generally, African people use the following chili peppers to control the level of spiciness of harissa:
- For low spiciness levels, the types of chili used are generally ancho chili, paprika, chipotle, and cascabel.
- For a medium level of spiciness, the types of chili used are cayenne, Thai chili, tabasco, and habanero.
- For a high level of spiciness, the types of chili used are generally Bhut jolokia (ghost pepper) and Trinidad scorpion.
Step 4. Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor
Use low speed first; if some of the ingredients have started to mix, increase the speed. Blend all the ingredients until the texture resembles a smooth and thick paste.
- If necessary, add olive oil a little at a time to make the process of refining the ingredients easier.
- Some additional ingredients that you can mix at this stage are chopped dried tomatoes or some fresh mint leaves.
- If you don't have a blender or food processor, put all the ingredients in a bowl and process until smooth using a hand blender.
Step 5. Transfer the harissa to a clean airtight container and store in the refrigerator
After all the ingredients are smooth and become a paste, you can eat them immediately or store them in the refrigerator. If it doesn't finish, put the remaining harissa in a clean airtight container and pour a little olive oil over the surface; Olive oil functions as a natural preservative to maintain the quality of the harissa even if it is stored for a long time.
Harissa can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 weeks. Every time you put it back, pour a little olive oil on the surface of the harissa to maintain its quality
Method 2 of 2: Making Spicy Harissa
Step 1. Remove the stalks and seeds of the chili
With the help of scissors or a sharp knife, cut the chili stalks; After that, cut one side of the chili and remove the seeds.
If you like a spicier taste, you don't need to remove the chili seeds; However, be aware that chili seeds cannot be completely mashed so it is best to discard them first
Step 2. Soften the chili
Place the chilies in a medium-sized bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and soak the chilies for 20 minutes or until they have softened in texture.
After 20 minutes, strain the chilies and save the rest of the soaking water
Step 3. Roast the spices used
Heat a dry skillet over medium heat; When the surface of the pan is hot enough, add the jemuju seeds, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. Roast the various spices for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so that there are no burnt parts.
Put all the roasted spices into a mortar / mortar, add the dried mint leaves, and mash until the texture becomes a powder
Step 4. Puree all ingredients with the help of a blender or food processor until the texture resembles a thick paste
If necessary, pour in the remaining chili soaking water to facilitate the process of refining the ingredients.
Some additional ingredients that you can mix in at this stage are a little rose water, a squeeze of fresh lemon, or a slice of pickled lemon
Step 5. Serve the harissa
If you don't use it right away, place the harissa in a clean airtight container and pour a little olive oil over the surface, then store the container with the harissa in the refrigerator. If stored properly, harissa's taste and texture will not change for up to three weeks.
