Harissa: the Tunisian chilli paste where heat is only half the flavour
Harissa is not simply a hot paste — if it were, grinding chillies would do. The Tunisian base is dried chillies, garlic, olive oil and toasted coriander and caraway seed; this version adds cumin and roasted sweet peppers, which bring depth, smoke and sweetness. The chilli supplies the heat, but the aroma comes from the spices, toasted just before grinding. Skip that step and you get a hot purée rather than harissa.
Your own work in that: 30 min.
- Peppers 45 min
- Spices 10 min
- Blending 20 min
Step by step
0 / 5 doneRoast the peppers until black
Lay the peppers whole on a tray and roast 30 minutes at 230 °C, turning once, until the skin is black and blistering away. Move them to a bowl, cover tightly for 15 minutes, then peel and discard the seeds.
Ingredients: 500 g red bell peppers · 40 g dried chillies · 300 ml hot water
TipDon't rinse the peeled peppers, even if black specks remain. Water takes away the smoke you roasted them for.
Black skin, then a quarter hour coveredSoak the dried chillies
While the peppers roast, cut off the stalks and shake out the seeds of the dried chillies, then cover with hot water and weigh them down with a saucer. Soak 20 minutes, until soft and pliable. Keep the water — you may need it to loosen the paste.
TipThe seeds and membranes are the main source of heat. Remove them all and the harissa is <b>aromatic and moderately hot</b>; leave some in and it becomes noticeably hotter.
Twenty minutes in hot waterToast and grind the spices
Toast the cumin, coriander and caraway seeds in a dry pan for 90 seconds, shaking, until they smell fragrant and start to pop. Take them off immediately and grind in a mortar or mill. This is the step that separates harissa from an ordinary chilli purée.
Ingredients: 2 tsp cumin seeds · 2 tsp coriander seeds · 1 tsp caraway seeds · 5 cloves garlic · 1 tsp smoked paprika
TipFreshly toasted and ground seeds smell far stronger than ready-ground spice from a packet. In this paste the difference is immediately apparent.
Ninety seconds, until fragrantBlend to a coarse paste
Put the peeled peppers, drained chillies, garlic, ground spices, smoked paprika, half the salt and half the lemon juice in a processor. Blend in pulses, pouring the oil in a thin stream. You want a coarse, grainy paste, not a smooth purée.
Ingredients: 100 ml olive oil · 1 pcs lemon, juice · 2 tsp salt · 3 tbsp olive oil
Coarse and grainy, never smoothSeason and jar it
Taste (carefully) and season with the rest of the salt and lemon juice. If the paste is too thick, add a spoon of the chilli soaking water. Spoon into scalded jars, press down and cover the surface with a layer of oil. Keep in the fridge only.
A layer of oil shuts out the air
Before you start
What to use it in
A spoon into soup, scrambled eggs, hummus, a chicken marinade, or stirred into yogurt as a dip. In Tunisia harissa sits on the table the way salt and pepper do elsewhere.
How long it keeps
Up to two weeks in the fridge under its layer of oil. After each spoonful, level the surface and top up the oil — the paste spoils where it meets air. Never keep it at room temperature: garlic and vegetables under oil without controlled acidity carry a risk of botulism. For longer storage, freeze it in an ice cube tray.
Which chillies
Dried ancho and guajillo are mild and fruity, giving depth without punishing heat. Bird's eye or habanero turn harissa into something you use half a teaspoon of per pot.
The mild version
A paste made without chilli (roasted peppers, garlic and spices only) is entirely mild and suits children. It keeps the smoke and aroma and loses only the heat.