Harissa

Ingredients

Chillies

• 150 gsun-dried red chillies, ideally Tunisian baklouti or Nabeul, stems and most seeds removed
• Warm water, to cover
• 1 tbspcoarse salt

Aromatics

• 8–10garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tspcaraway seeds
• 1 tbspcoriander seeds
• 1 tspcumin seeds
• 1 tspcoarse salt
• 150 mlgood olive oil, plus more for sealing
• 1 tbspdried mint or rose petals (optional, Cap Bon style)

Directions

1. Wipe the dried chillies clean, snap off the stems and shake out most of the seeds – leaving them all in makes the paste gritty and harsher rather than fruitier.
2. Soak the chillies in warm water with 1 tbsp salt for 40–60 minutes until fully soft and leathery, weighing them down with a plate so they stay submerged.
3. Drain thoroughly and squeeze them dry in your hands, then in a clean cloth. Water left in the chillies is what makes harissa spoil, so be ruthless.
4. Toast the caraway, coriander and cumin in a dry pan over medium heat for 60–90 seconds, shaking, until they smell nutty and start to crackle. Grind to a powder.
5. Pound the garlic with the salt in a mortar to a smooth paste – the salt gives it grip.
6. Add the chillies a few at a time and pound steadily for 10–15 minutes until the mixture becomes a thick, deep-red paste with the texture of coarse jam. A food processor works, but pounding gives a better body.
7. Work in the ground spices and then the olive oil in a thin stream, a spoonful at a time, until the paste is glossy and holds its shape on a spoon.
8. Pack into a sterilised jar, tapping out air pockets, and cover the surface with a 5 mm layer of olive oil. Refrigerate; it keeps 2–3 months if the oil seal is topped up after every use.

Technique

• Caraway, not cumin, is the signature. Tunisian harissa is defined by that slightly medicinal caraway note – cumin-heavy versions taste North African but not Tunisian.
• The chillies must be sun-dried, not fresh. Fresh chilli paste ferments and turns sour within days; dried chillies give the smoky, raisiny depth harissa is built on.
• Always take harissa from the jar with a clean dry spoon and re-cover with oil. Any moisture or crumb introduced will grow mould at the surface.

Substitutions

• Dried guajillo plus a few chiles de árbol makes a good approximation: guajillo for the fruity body, árbol for the heat.
• Smoked paprika should not replace the chillies, but 1 tsp stirred in helps if your dried chillies are pale and mild.

Variations

• Harissa arbi, the coarse hand-pounded village style with visible chilli flakes.
• Rose harissa, softened with dried rose petals, and a Nabeul version scented with dried mint.

History

UNESCO inscribed Tunisian harissa knowledge and practices in 2022; chilies arrived through sixteenth-century Spanish and Ottoman trade and were sun-dried, then pounded with garlic and caraway.

Frequently asked questions

What is Harissa?

Harissa is a sauce & condiment from Tunisia: fiery sun-dried chili and garlic paste seasoning nearly every Tunisian dish. UNESCO inscribed Tunisian harissa knowledge and practices in 2022; chilies arrived through sixteenth-century Spanish and Ottoman trade and were sun-dried, then pounded with garlic and caraway.

How long does Harissa take to make?

Harissa takes 30 min of preparation and 1 hr (plus soaking) of cooking. The recipe makes about 400 g. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Harissa?

Yes, within limits. Dried guajillo plus a few chiles de árbol makes a good approximation: guajillo for the fruity body, árbol for the heat. Smoked paprika should not replace the chillies, but 1 tsp stirred in helps if your dried chillies are pale and mild.

What is the most important thing to get right in Harissa?

Wipe the dried chillies clean, snap off the stems and shake out most of the seeds – leaving them all in makes the paste gritty and harsher rather than fruitier.