1 post tagged “harissa”

Harissa

A listener recently emailed looking for a place to buy Harissa:

"I bought a bottle of harissa about a year ago at Sur La Table that I use to mix with non-fat greek yogurt for a wonderful spread for moraccan style turkey burgers or a healthy dip.  I cannot find it anymore.  Any ideas where I might locate it.  If not, could you provide a recipe?" - Leslie

I recently found some at Cube - 615 N La Brea Ave Los Angeles, CA 90036 323-939-1140.

However, it's really easy to make.  I love the recipes in Kitty Morse's books on Moroccan cooking. 

Here's a great recipe from About.com that is similar to Kitty's:

For a very spicy harissa: use a blend of cayenne, chile de arbol, or cayenne with a milder chile like ancho chilies.  For a medium spiciness: use a blend of New Mexico chilies with guajillo chilies.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

10-12 dried red chili peppers
 3 cloves garlic, minced
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 2 tablespoons olive oil
 1 teaspoon ground coriander
 1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Directions:

Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain. Remove stems and seeds.  In a food processor combine chili peppers, garlic, salt and olive oil.  Blend.  Add remaining spices and blend to form a smooth paste.  Store in airtight container. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top to keep fresh. Will keep for a month in the refrigerator.