North African cuisine is famous for its very intense spices, which can add flavor to even the simplest dishes. One of them is harissa, a paste with a deep, spicy flavor, associated mainly with the cuisine of Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Algeria. Thanks to its great versatility, it can also be used in European cuisine. What to add harissa to and how to prepare it? The whole process is extremely simple and the taste is unique.
Harissa is a spice paste originating from North Africa, most often associated with Algerian, Libyan and Tunisian spices. Its base is dried or fresh chili peppers, garlic, olive oil and spices such as cumin, coriander and cumin.
It can be more or less spicy, and its consistency ranges from a smooth paste to a version with noticeable pieces of spices. Traditionally, it is used as an addition to meat, vegetables, soups and stews. Its flavor is complex and does not dominate the dish, but only complements it.
Harissa recipes may vary in detail depending on the country or region. For example, in Tunisia, more garlic is added to it and it becomes very spicy. In Morocco, on the other hand, it is milder and enriched with, among others, sweet pepper, lemon and fresh herbs. Some recipes also contain other additives, e.g. mint or cinnamon.
How to prepare harissa at home? The basic recipe contains a few simple ingredients. There is no need to include a long list of spices, although you can of course modify it as you wish.
Ingredients:
- 25 fresh or dried chili peppers,
- 6 cloves of garlic,
- 1 red pepper,
- 2 teaspoons of ground coriander,
- 2 teaspoons of ground cumin,
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
Preparation:
Pour hot water over the chili peppers and leave for about half an hour to soften. In the meantime, prepare the red pepper – cut it in half and bake it in the oven with the grill function until the skin is very brown and dark. After heat treatment, wrap it in aluminum foil for 10 minutes. After cooling, remove the ends, skin and seeds.
Strain the chili peppers and remove the seeds and stalks. Then peel the garlic cloves and place all the ingredients in the blender jar. Put the paste into a jar and pour olive oil on top – this is not only to enhance its taste, but also to prevent it from spoiling quickly. After preparing it, store it in the refrigerator.
You wonder what to add harissa to? There are so many possibilities. It is an extremely universal spice that will work well in any cuisine – and not only Tunisian, Libyan or Moroccan. You can make it for exampleespecially poultry and pork. Just combine it with natural yogurt – yogurt will soften its sharpness and soften the meat during marinating.
Harissa can also be added for baked vegetables such as carrots, cauliflower or sweet potatoes, to give them a deeper flavor. In addition, it can be used as a spice for sauces, soups and stews – a small amount of it can enhance the taste and aroma of the entire dish. Of course, nothing stops you from enriching it sandwiches, pasta, rice and groats.
Interestingly, they can even benefit from adding the above paste fast food. Fancy an original pizza? Then grease its bottom harissa mixed with tomato puree. It is also perfect for casseroles, kebabs, hot dogs and burgers – you can successfully replace ketchup or mustard with it.
Sources: Terazgotuje.pl, chilliczosnekioliwa.pl
