Over the past year or more I have been reading more and more about harissa. I never had tasted it, but figured it should be something that I should try. I have found dozens upon dozens of recipes using harissa as one of the ingredients, but it wasn't until I was reading At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, that I actually came across a recipe for it. I was so thankful to actually have a recipe which to base the flavors off of that I knew I would have to make it. Besides, it contains all things that I already have in my pantry so why would I go and buy something which I could make in a few minutes at home with ingredients I already had on hand. At any rate, it is a simple spice mixture to make and delicious and as spicy as you want it to be.
Makes about 1/3 cup
1 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
3/4 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoon ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you like it spicy)
2 garlic cloves, minced finely
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Warm a small skillet over medium heat and toast the cumin and coriander seeds. This will take about 2 minutes. Stir constantly until fragrant. Transfer seeds to a grinder and grind into a powder. Add add ingredients to a bowl and stir until smooth. This makes 1/3 cup and will keep in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for about 2 months. You can also reduce the amount of olive oil to make it more of a paste if that is what you need in your recipe.
