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Harissa paste in yellow bowl with spoon.
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5 from 5 votes

Homemade Harissa Recipe

Harissa is an aromatic and fiery red sauce or paste that adds a dash of delicious spice to north African recipes. This easy harissa recipe needs fewer than 10 ingredients and it takes no more than 10 minutes of hands-on time to make!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Soaking time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: African
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 18 tablespoons (approx)
Calories: 39kcal

Equipment

  • Small bowl
  • Blender or food processor. You can also use a mortar and pestle to crush the spices.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Soak the peppers: Soak the chili peppers in enough hot water to cover the peppers for 15 minutes. Drain, but store the soaking water. Pat the peppers dry with paper towels.
  • Toast the peppers and spices: Place the peppers on a skillet along with the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, caraway and garlic. Toast the chili peppers and spices until aromatic, about five minutes over medium low heat.
  • Blend the harissa: Transfer all ingredients to the blender or food processor and add olive oil and salt to taste. Add the lemon juice, if using. Blend. If necessary add the reserved chili soaking water, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a coarse paste.
  • Store the harissa in an airtight jar in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • In Tunisia harissa would be made with local peppers, such as baklouti peppers, but since those are not easy to find in other parts of the world you can use nearly any type of chili pepper that is available to you. I use a combination of Mexican chili peppers. If you are in India, for example, use a combination of mild and brightly colored chili peppers, like Kashmiri peppers, and spicy peppers, like Indian red chillies.
Storage instructions
  • Refrigerate: Harissa can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.
  • Freeze: Freeze the harissa in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to three months. Thaw before using.

Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 672IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.3mg