African Spicy Harissa Chili Sauce

Harissa is a simple chili sauce widely used in Moroccan, Tunisian, Lebanese or Algerian cuisine. I have to admit myself, that this sauce is probably the one that I make most often, probably because (1) it is ready in no-time, (2) there are countless ways of using it and (3) a simple reason - everybody loves it. There are many varieties of this sauce available, all depending on their usage or spiciness, however they all have couple of ingredients in common: Chilies, garlic, olive oil, coriander seeds, cumin and salt. I would like to present the most traditional one and some varieties on usage on the bottom:


AFRICAN HARISSA SAUCE traditional:

spice ladder: *****

prep time: 10 minutes
makes: 1/2 cup

• 12 dried chilies
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp olive oil

Remove the green tops from the chilies and soak them in hot water for 30 minutes. Meantime dry fry the seeds and crush them in a mortar.
Grind garlic together with salt, add the chilies and process to a smooth paste.
Add the crushed spices and mix well. Finally, add the oil, a drop by drop and mix thoroughly.

This is a very basic chili sauce. No you can add anything your little heart desire to make it 'your-style'. Here are some suggestions:

If you like milder version:

1. Substitute 1 bell pepper (capsicum) for every 4 chilies. Simply roast them, skin them and mash them.
2. Increase the amount of salt, you will naturally use less of the paste.
3. Add a tablespoon of pureed tomatoes to the paste.

Here are some regional tips for different flavor:

1. Add a teapoon of cinnamon (Jordan)...
2. ...a sprig of rosemary (Marocco)...
3. ...or some mint leaves (Tunisia).

USAGE:

Just as there are countless recipes for harissa out there, there are tons of recipes and ways to use them.

Here are my simple general suggestions:

• HARISSA COUSCOUS:

Wok-fry some chopped onion and veggies, add harissa, cous-cous or bulgur cracked wheat, add enough water to cover all the ingredients and let boil, until the water absorbs into the grains.

• HARISSA MARINADE:

Mix some harissa with plain yogurt and rub onto meats or veggies and let marinade for couple of hours.

• HARISSA DIP:

Add some pureed tomatoes to the harissa, sprinkle with cilantro or mint leaves and serve as a dip.


... And some more tips on how to use harissa.
I strongly recomend that you just keep on experimenting with Harissa and let me knwo what happened.

Update Feb 20th - My harissa picture made it to a cooking software. Read more about this pleasant news.