Harissa

Harissa is a chili paste from Tunisia, also common in Algerian, Libyan and Moroccan cooking. It is made from dried red chilies soaked and ground with garlic, olive oil and spices, usually caraway, coriander and cumin. It is hot, earthy and slightly smoky. Rose harissa adds dried rose petals, which make it a little sweeter and more floral.

How to use it

• Stir 1 to 2 teaspoons into plain yogurt for a quick sauce for grilled meat, fish or roast vegetables.
• Add a spoonful to stews, tagines, soups and shakshuka while they cook.
• Rub it over chicken, lamb or carrots with oil and lemon before roasting.
• Mix it with olive oil and lemon juice as a dressing for couscous or grain salads.
• Spread a little on a sandwich or under a fried egg.

Harissa from a tube or jar can be much hotter or milder than another brand. Start with a teaspoon, taste, then add more.

Substitutes

• Another chili paste, such as sambal oelek, mixed with a pinch of ground cumin, caraway and coriander.
• Chili flakes soaked in a little hot water, then mashed with garlic, olive oil and smoked paprika.
• For flavor without much heat, use mild paprika paste or roasted red pepper blended with cumin.

How to store it

Once opened, keep harissa in the fridge. To stop the top drying out or going moldy, smooth the surface and cover it with a thin layer of olive oil after each use. It keeps for a month or more this way. Homemade harissa keeps for about two weeks in the fridge.

In recipes

North African recipes often pair harissa with preserved lemon and spice blends such as ras el hanout. When a recipe gives an amount, it is written for a typical medium-hot paste. With a very hot brand, use half and add more at the end. Harissa powder is a dry spice mix with the same flavors. Mix it with oil to make a paste, about 1 tablespoon powder to 1 tablespoon oil.