Harissa: The Spicy North African Condiment You Need in Your Kitchen
Have you tried Harissa yet? This spicy North African condiment, made from chili peppers, spices, and oil, is a paste that brings a bold kick to any dish. While it hasn't reached the iconic status of the beloved Sriracha, harissa is steadily gaining popularity, thanks to a rising interest in African cuisine. Let’s dive into what harissa is and how you can use it in your cooking.
So, what is Harissa?
Harissa is a spicy chili paste made from hot chili peppers, garlic, olive oil, cumin, coriander, and mint. Depending on where you are, the brand, or the cook's personal taste, the spices in harissa can vary, and you might even find versions with tomatoes or rose petals. It's a staple across North Africa and the Middle East, with its origins dating back to Tunisia, where it's the national condiment. Harissa's flavor has been compared to Sriracha, earning it the title "the next Sriracha," but they’re quite different. While both are chili-based, Sriracha is hot, tangy, and slightly sweet, whereas harissa is hot, citrusy, and earthy. Sriracha comes in a convenient squeeze bottle, while harissa can be found in jars, tubes, cans, or even as a spice powder blend, perfect for making your own at home.
How to use Harissa?
Unlike Sriracha, which you can drizzle over anything, harissa is typically used to enhance flavors in cooking.
Traditionally, it’s used as a marinade for meat and fish, but it’s also great for tofu, tempeh, and vegetables.
For a North African twist, try adding harissa to plant-based marinades.
Harissa is a key ingredient in tagine, a Moroccan stew cooked in an earthenware pot. Though traditionally made with meat, tagines can easily be adapted to be meatless. For instance, try a Roasted Veggie Tagine packed with root vegetables in a spicy harissa-based stock or a Seitan Tagine with Apricots and Dates for a sweet, spicy, and smoky dish. Harissa’s bold flavor makes it a great addition to stews, such as Moroccan Chili or Harissa Lentil Quinoa Veggie Balls.
Let's make our own Harissa.
While harissa is traditionally North African, you can find all the ingredients to make it in most grocery stores. Here’s a simple recipe to make your own harissa at home, customized to your preferred level of spiciness. Making harissa is easy and doesn’t require special equipment. A small blade-style coffee grinder or a granite mortar and pestle can handle the whole spices, and a blender will mix everything together.
This basic harissa recipe is flexible—feel free to add fresh herbs like cilantro or mint and adjust the spice level to your taste.
If you don't want to make it, you can buy it from such places
If you’re near a Middle Eastern or African grocery store, you might find harissa there. It’s also available in specialty grocery stores or in the international aisle of your local supermarket. Online options are plentiful as well. For a dry spice blend to make your own harissa, try a 1.9-ounce bottle of Frontier Organic Harissa Seasoning for $4.09.
Harissa in recipes:
Now that you know what harissa is, it’s time to experiment with it in your kitchen!
Try Spiced Chickpeas with Harissa and Tamarind or Stewed Great Northern Beans with Harissa for dishes that highlight common African spices and flavors. Harissa can also add a spicy, smoky touch to roasted vegetables. The filling in Moroccan Potato Lentil Tacos with Harissa is cooked in a harissa-seasoned broth, and the chickpeas in Roasted Spiced Cauliflower and Harissa Chickpea Salad are tossed in a tomato and harissa blend. For a simple snack, try Harissa Sweet Potato Fries with BBQ Sauce.
Harissa is also a great sauce for flatbreads, pizzas, and burgers. The Harissa Flatbread with Olives and Jalapeño packs a punch of spicy flavor, while the Smoky Harissa Vegetable Tart offers a milder taste. Use harissa as a sauce in dishes like Mini Brown Rice Lentil Burgers with Harissa or Crispy Cornmeal Crusted Eggplant with Smoky Harissa. Get creative and have fun incorporating harissa into soups and stews, as a marinade for tofu and tempeh, or even as a dipping sauce for French fries.