Homemade Harissa
Homemade Harissa Recipe: Harissa paste is a versatile North African condiment made with dried chilies, garlic, olive oil, and spices. It can be used as an accompaniment to grilled meats and fish or simply added to soups and stews for an extra kick. This recipe is super simple to make, only taking 5 minutes at the most!
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 1 serving
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 10 dried New Mexico Chiles
- 8 oz roasted red peppers (jarred, drained rinsed)
- 3 dried chiles de arbol
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Cayenne pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- 1
To prepare the dried chiles, soak them in hot water for about 30 minutes in a heat-resistant glass container until they are soft and re-hydrated. Then, drain the chiles and remove the stems and seeds.
- 2
Place the chiles in the food processor bowl fitted with a blade. Add all the other ingredients except the olive oil – the tomato paste, roasted red peppers, garlic, ground caraway seeds, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, lemon juice, and salt to taste.
- 3
Blend for a minute or two, then pour the olive oil while still blending. Stop the processor occasionally to scrape down the sides and continue blending until you reach the desired paste-like texture. Add more water or oil if you want it to have a saucier texture.
- 4
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Store in jar and pour oil over the paste to keep it fresh. The harissa paste will deepen in flavor during the next day or two as it sits in the fridge.