How to make harissa paste
Making your own harissa is super easy and tastes wonderfully aromatic. There are so many different types of harissa paste and so many are just not spicy enough for me. I just like it spicy and that’s why I started making my own spice pastes. Here is my harissa recipe for spicy dishes.
Harissa paste recipe – the ingredients to make yourself
I normally use hot Thai chilies for my harissa spice mix. I don’t deseed these nasty little things for this purpose either. This makes it hot as hell. You can get the small Thai chilies dried in any Asian supermarket and often also in the supermarket around the corner.
If you prefer medium hot or even just mild, you can of course use a different type of chili. Chillies are one of those things. There are just so many varieties and they all taste different and have different levels of heat. You can find a nice overview of the most important varieties at Pepperworld.
I also experimented a little and mixed different types of chilli for this harissa spice recipe to get as much flavor out of it as possible. That’s why I switched from Thai chillies to Mexican chillies:
- 11 g Arbol: has a slightly smoky aroma and is very spicy
Spiciness level 7 (from 1-10) - 32 g ancho: has a fruity, slightly smoky aroma and is rather mild
Spiciness level 2 (from 1-10) - 17 g Pasilla: has a smoky and slightly sweet aroma
Spiciness level 4 (from 1-10)
This is the chili mix I use to make my own harissa. The different varieties mean that the chilli paste is not just hot, but also has a fruity, smoky note.
Harissa spice mix is not just about spiciness, but also about the many aromas that unfold during cooking. In Lebanese cuisine, food is often perfumed with rose water, which gives harissa in particular a very special and unexpectedly floral, delicate note if you add a few drops to the paste – try it out.
Make your own harissa – a spicy spice paste in 2 steps
Harissa is not used to make the food as spicy as possible, but to conjure up that special “Britzeln” in the mouth with a targeted dose and to enhance the flavor of the dish. I would therefore not use harissa paste for dipping – rather to spice up a dip.
This is how you prepare the harissa paste:
- Soak the chilies, squeeze the lemon and peel the garlic.
- Puree all the ingredients for the seasoning paste in a food processor.
That sounds very simple, doesn’t it? So you should get started right away and make your own harissa spice mix. Wear gloves and make sure you don’t get the chili vapor in your eyes or breathe it in.
I hope you enjoy preparing it. Let me know in the comments which chillies you have chosen and give me a rating for the harissa recipe.
Harissa recipe – do it yourself
Equipment
- Food processor or hand blender
Ingredients
- 60 g dried chilis
- 1 Teaspoon Coriander seeds, ground
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin, ground
- 1 Teaspoon Caraway, ground
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 Garlic clove
- 6 Tablespoon Olive oil + something to cover the paste in the jar
Zubereitung
A warning in advance: Please take care of your hands. Avoid direct skin contact when preparing the harissa paste. If this does happen, rinse your hands thoroughly and do not touch your eyes even after washing them!
- Place the dried chilies in a bowl.
- Pour boiling water over the chillies and soak for approx. 45-60 minutes.
- Then pour off the water.
- Optional: Deseed the chilies and dispose of the seeds. (Use disposable gloves!)
- Place the chillies in a tall measuring jug with the remaining ingredients and puree to a paste using a hand blender or food processor.
- Place the harissa in a sterile preserving jar and cover with olive oil.
Notes
Nährwerte
What is harissa actually?
Harissa is a spicy seasoning paste from the Levant and North Africa. It is made from chilies, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin, caraway seeds, salt, lemon juice and olive oil. The ingredients may vary depending on the region.
Do you need some ideas for what you can use your homemade harissa for? It goes perfectly with batata harra or crispy harissa chicken with baked vegetables. And if you like fusion cuisine, be sure to try the harissa carbonara.
You can also follow me on Instagram for even more inspiration about Levante cuisine.
