Harissa: North African Chili Paste Recipe

Tunisian in origin, harissa is a delicious red chili pepper condiment now accepted as part of moroccan cuisine. Dried red chili peppers are ground to a paste with garlic, spices, lemon juice, and olive oil. Some moroccan recipes also include tomato paste or pure, or roasted red bell peppers, but this is a more classic version. You can use a small processor, blender or immersion blender to make harissa, but this quantity is easily made in a large mehraz, or mortar and pestle. Any single variety or mix of dried chili peppers will work, so select your peppers according to your desired heat. If you find your harissa is hotter than you expected, try mixing in some pured roasted red bell peppers or tomato paste to reduce the pungency. Harissa is sometimes added with other ingredients during cooking, but most often it's offered on the side as a condiment. Serve it with tagines by placing a small spoonful on the side of the dishyou can dab your bread in the chili paste before moving on to the meat, sauce, and veggies.