African Spicy Harissa Chili Sauce

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187939946987190646.post-47371454971768540772007-09-07T06:31:00.003+02:002009-10-18T16:04:53.500+02:00African Spicy Harissa Chili SauceHarissa 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: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IbyrjeHfP0s/RuDmdcQ7D-I/AAAAAAAAAWU/ULX9Jurf03E/s1600-h/harissa_paste.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_IbyrjeHfP0s/RuDmdcQ7D-I/AAAAAAAAAWU/ULX9Jurf03E/s400/harissa_paste.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107335370915909602" border="0" /></a> AFRICAN HARISSA SAUCE traditional: spice ladder: ***** prep time: 10 minutes makes: 1/2 cup<ul><li>12 dried chilies</li><li>1 tbsp coriander seeds</li><li>2 tsp cumin seeds</li><li>3 garlic cloves</li><li>1/2 tsp salt</li><li>5 tbsp olive oil</li></ul>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:<ol><li>Substitute 1 bell pepper (capsicum) for every 4 chilies. Simply roast them, skin them and mash them.</li><li>Increase the amount of salt, you will naturally use less of the paste.</li><li>Add a tablespoon of pureed tomatoes to the paste.</li></ol>Here are some regional tips for different flavor: <ol><li>Add a teapoon of cinnamon (Jordan)...</li><li>...a sprig of rosemary (Marocco)...</li><li>...or some mint leaves (Tunisia).</li></ol>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:<ul><li>HARISSA COUSCOUS:</li></ul>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. <ul><li>HARISSA MARINADE:</li></ul>Mix some harissa with plain yogurt and rub onto meats or veggies and let marinade for couple of hours. <ul><li>HARISSA DIP:</li></ul>Add some pureed tomatoes to the harissa, sprinkle with cilantro or mint leaves and serve as a dip. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IbyrjeHfP0s/RuDml8Q7D_I/AAAAAAAAAWc/sqe_H1Svcx0/s1600-h/harissa.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IbyrjeHfP0s/RuDml8Q7D_I/AAAAAAAAAWc/sqe_H1Svcx0/s320/harissa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5107335516944797682" border="0" /></a> ... And some more tips on <a href="http://www.cuisine.co.nz/index.cfm?pageID=22356">how to use harissa. </a> 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. <a href="http://www.burntmouth.com/2008/02/my-harissa-picture-in-cooking-software.html">Read more</a> about this pleasant news. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/187939946987190646-4737145497176854077?l=www.burntmouth.com' alt='' /></div>zlamushkahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12359856305294505035zlamushka@hotmail.com19