Harissa is a Tunisian chili based sauce, which is not only adds a little heat to your favorite dishes, but also have a bright flavor full of Mediterranean spices. To make your own Harissa at home is very easy, and believe me it tastes so much better than any store bought one. And it’s definitely a good alternative to Sriracha and ketchup. The secret is that I use only fresh peppers, they make the taste more colorful.Harissa is perfect for summer BBQ. It complements almost every dish. Meat, fish, and veggies become so much better with Harissa; I particularly like it with grilled chicken!
P.S. Thanks Jerusalem cookbook for inspiration!
Harrisa from Scratch
Ingredients:
- big red bell peppers - 2
- olive oil or vegetable oil - 2 tablespoon
- caraway seeds - 1 teaspoon
- coriander seeds - 1 teaspoon
- cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
- medium purple onion - 1, finely chopped
- red chili peppers - 4-5, or to taste, seeded and chopped
- tomato paste - 2 tablespoons
- garlic - 5 cloves, minced
- lime juice - 2 tablespoons, or to taste
- salt - to taste
Instructions:
Brush the bell peppers with 1 tablespoon of oil. Broil them in the over, occasionally turning until they are very soft, about 25-30 minutes. Place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let to cool. Then peel the peppers. Toast the caraway, coriander, and cumin in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. When the spices are fragrant, remove them from the pan and put into a mortar. Grind the spices to a powder. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, and fry the chili, garlic and onion together for 10 minutes. Now put all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Store in the fridge topped with a thin layer of olive oil. Use with your favorite summer dishes.