Harissa Paste

Name: Harissa Paste
Ingredients: 2 ounces mildly hot dried chilies (eg Guajillo); 2 ounces mild dried chilies (eg Anaheim); 5 cloves garlic, peeled; 2 tablespoons water; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground caraway seed; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seed; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; extra virgin olive oil, for topping off

9 ingredients

8 steps

Ingredients

2 ounces mildly hot dried chilies (eg Guajillo)
2 ounces mild dried chilies (eg Anaheim)
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground caraway seed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
extra virgin olive oil, for topping off

Directions

1

Soak the dried chillis in tepid water to cover until softened, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2

Drain and remove the stems and seeds.
3

Place in a blender or food processor with the garlic, water, and olive oil and process until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides.
4

Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the caraway, coriander, and salt.
5

Store in a jar and top off, covering the surface of the paste with a layer of olive oil.
6

Whenever the paste is used you must always top off with olive oil making sure no paste is exposed to air otherwise it will spoil.
7

Variation: To make a hot harisa, use 4 ounces dried guajillo chillis and 1/ 2 ounce dried de Arbol chillis.
8

Note: To make salsa al-harisa, that is, harisa sauce, used as an accompaniment to grilled meats, stir together 2 teaspoons harisa, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves.