Quick Red Harissa

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Hot, spicy and smokey, we call this wonderful sauce “Quick Red Harissa’. Quick to make, it is; a wonderful spicy sauce with layers of flavour from red peppers, garlic, smokey chilli, caraway seeds and cumin, it is. However, an authentic harissa, it really isn’t! Providing a complex hit of spices and heat, this sauce works wonderfully well with any meal where you want to inject a dash of warmth and spice.

We serve it most often as an accompaniment to Middle Eastern food. Whilst it is hot, it is less so than a traditional harissa, so you can add a generous dollop. However, the flavour base is actually more Mexican; I use chipotle and ancho chilli powders as their smokey flavours perfectly balance the sweet peppers, garlic, caraway seeds and cumin. Whilst we eat it all year round, it is one of the first sauces I make at the beginning of summer in anticipation of barbecue season. It’s been a slow start this year, and thankfully the sun is now out, but regardless, we are on our second batch already!

There are so may ways to serve this sauce:

Use your imagination; here are just a few ideas:

• a condiment with grilled and/or roast meats and meatballs
• delicious with falafel
• on the side with mezze
• on burgers
• swirled through sour cream or yoghurt
• mixed with hummus
• added to salsas
• drizzled on avocado
• mixed with yoghurt and used to marinade meat
• as a topping for tacos

How to make Quick Red Harissa

Collect all the ingredients together;

• caraway seeds or ground seeds
• ancho chilli powder
• chipotle chilli powder
• chilli flakes
• coriander powder
• cumin powder
• roasted red peppers from a jar
• olive oil, taken from the red peppers if in oil
• garlic cloves, peeled
• runny honey or light brown sugar
• fine sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• chipotle paste
• lemon juice

How to make this super condiment:

1. Heat a frying pan to medium hot and add the caraway seeds. Cook for 15 – 30 seconds, stirring from time to time, until fragrant.
2. Add the chilli powders, chilli flakes, coriander and cumin to the pan and cook for a further 15 – 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Transfer to a spice grinder and blitz until you have a powder. Transfer to a food processor.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blitz until the harissa is smooth. You may need to stop the processor from time to time and scrape down the sides of the jug/bowl.
4. Transfer to a sterilised jam jar/s and store for up to one month in the fridge.

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Made this recipe?

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