Don't rely on shop-bought harissa - make it youself - it's so easy. Be sure to double or even treble the quantities if you want make enough to keep frozen.
Ingredients
- 5 fresh or dried red chillies
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Handful fresh chopped coriander
- 1 tsp paprika
- 50ml extra-virgin olive oil
Method
- 1. If using fresh chillies, split them lengthways and deseed. If using dried chillies, shake out and discard the seeds, then soak in water for 1 hour to soften. Drain and set aside.
- 2. Warm a dry frying pan until it’s just beginning to show wisps of smoke, then throw in the caraway seeds. Remove the pan from the heat immediately, give it a shake and set aside. This helps unlock the flavour of the spice. Pound the seeds using a pestle and mortar and set aside.
- 3. Place the garlic and chillies on a chopping board and sprinkle with the salt, to help the chillies ‘bleed’ a little. Chop together until you have a rough-looking paste. (Doing this by hand gives a better texture but you could use a food processor.) Put the paste into a bowl and stir in the coriander, paprika and crushed caraway seeds. Fold in the oil to form your harissa paste. If you have the time, let the paste sit for a few hours before you use it.
Nutritional info
Per tablespoon: 41kcals, 4.3g fat (0.6g saturated), 0.4g protein, 0.6g carbs, 0.3g sugar, 0.3g salt
Chef's tip
This makes enough for about one dish. However, you can double or even treble the quantities and freeze in batches for up to 2 months, or keep in the fridge with a film of oil on top, covered, for up to 3 weeks.