Homemade Harissa
A paste of rehydrated dried red chilies, ground with garlic, caraway, coriander and salt, bound with olive oil. Spicy, fragrant, it keeps in the fridge under a layer of oil.
A paste of rehydrated dried red chilies, ground with garlic, caraway, coriander and salt, bound with olive oil. Spicy, fragrant, it keeps in the fridge under a layer of oil.
Harissa is our red gold — we make a big jar and it never leaves the fridge. We soak the dried chilies, grind them with garlic, caraway and coriander in the stone mortar until we get a smooth paste, and cover with olive oil to preserve it. My mother taught me to always smooth the surface and add more oil after each scoop, otherwise it goes bad. A dab in the couscous, a smear on the brik: without it, a Tunisian dish has no soul.
- •Dried red chilies — a large handful (base)
- •Garlic — one head (aromatic)
- •Caraway — a spoonful (signature spice)
- •Coriander seeds — a spoonful (spice)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning and preservation)
- •Olive oil — to cover (binder and protection)
Homemade Harissa
A paste of rehydrated dried red chilies, ground with garlic, caraway, coriander and salt, bound with olive oil. Spicy, fragrant, it keeps in the fridge under a layer of oil.
Why this dish? Harissa is the identity condiment of Tunisia, prepared in large quantities and preserved under oil to keep for weeks. It is the red thread linking every dish of Amina's — from couscous to brik — and the little jar one takes along, like a piece of home, all the way to Paris.
Harissa is our red gold — we make a big jar and it never leaves the fridge. We soak the dried chilies, grind them with garlic, caraway and coriander in the stone mortar until we get a smooth paste, and cover with olive oil to preserve it. My mother taught me to always smooth the surface and add more oil after each scoop, otherwise it goes bad. A dab in the couscous, a smear on the brik: without it, a Tunisian dish has no soul.
Ingredients (period version)
- Dried red chilies — a large handful (base)
- Garlic — one head (aromatic)
- Caraway — a spoonful (signature spice)
- Coriander seeds — a spoonful (spice)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning and preservation)
- Olive oil — to cover (binder and protection)
Ingredients
- Dried red chilies (mild chili type) — 100 g (base)
- Garlic — 6 cloves (aromatic)
- Ground caraway — 1 tbsp (signature spice)
- Ground coriander seeds — 1 tsp (spice)
- Salt — 1 tsp (seasoning)
- Olive oil — 5 tbsp + covering (binder and protection)
Method
- Seed the dried chilies and soak them in warm water for 30 min to 1 h until softened.
- Drain, squeeze out water, then grind in a mortar or blender with garlic, caraway, coriander and salt.
- Gradually incorporate olive oil to obtain a smooth, glossy paste.
- Pack into a clean jar, smooth the surface and cover with a film of olive oil.
- Store in the refrigerator; add more oil after each use (keeps 2 to 3 weeks).
How it was made : Traditionally ground in a mortar (mehraz) and stored in a jar under oil, harissa allowed the heat of chilies to be preserved from one harvest to the next. Depending on the region, it is flavored with dried tomato, mint or orange flower water; caraway remains the distinctive Tunisian note.
The contemporary twist : Pour into a small glass jar, smooth, top with a disk of olive oil and a mint leaf: a gift condiment, with a handwritten label, to offer like a perfume.
Sources : Mohamed Kouki, La cuisine tunisienne d'Ommok Sannafa · Paula Wolfert, The Food of Morocco (Maghreb condiment techniques)
Amina · Charactorium