Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Homemade Harissa

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.
Homemade Harissa
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.



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