Harissa 05 – African Recipes

Recipe ingredients and directions:

HARISA (HOT CHILI PASTE)

2 ounces mildly hot dried Guajillo chili peppers

2 ounces mild dried Anaheim chili peppers

5 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground caraway seeds

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

extra virgin olive oil for topping off

Soak the peppers in tepid water to cover until softened, about 45

minutes to 1 hour . Drain and remove the stems and seeds. Place in

a blender or food processor with the garlic, water, and olive oil

and process until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the

sides.

Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the caraway,

coriander, and salt. Store in a jar and top off, covering the

surface of the paste with a layer of olive oil. Whenever the paste

is used you must always top off with olive oil making sure no paste

is exposed to air otherwise it will spoil. Variation: To make a

hot harisa, use 4 ounces dried guajillo chili peppers and 1/2

ounce dried de Arbol peppers.

Note: To make salsa al-harisa, that is, harisa sauce, used as an

accompaniment to grilled meats, stir together 2 teaspoons harisa,

3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon finely

chopped fresh parsley leaves.

Makes 1 cup

Category: African Recipes