Harissa is a North African paste made with peppers and spices. Purchased harissa ranges in the degree of spicy heat, with some being extremely hot. This DIY recipe is considered medium hot, as I think it allows the other spices in it to shine.
12dried chile peppersI used a combination of guajillo, pasilla and arbol but you can mix and match
1tspcumin seeds
1tspcoriander seeds
1tspcaraway seeds
1tspVietnamese cinnamon
1tspsalt
juice from 1-2 lemons
5clovesgarlic
3Tbspolive oil
Instructions
De-stem chile peppers and soak dried chile peppers in pot of water that has just been turned off after being brought to a boil. Soak for 20-30 minutes to hydrate.
12 dried chile peppers
Toast seeds 2-3 minutes in small, dry pan over medium heat, until aromatic. Let cool before grinding.
Add cinnamon, salt and toasted spices to a coffee bean grinder and grind to a fine grind or powder.
1 tsp Vietnamese cinnamon, 1 tsp salt
Drain peppers, reserving chile water, and add chiles, spices lemon juice, garlic and oil to blender or food processor. Process until smooth, thinning with chile water if necessary.
juice from 1-2 lemons, 5 cloves garlic, 3 Tbsp olive oil