Harissa

Harissa is a Tunisian spice sauce that is almost a catch-all for a lot of their dishes. As with all catch-all spices, there are variations to the basic theme, some like it very spicy so they add more cayenne pepper, others mint, and yet others both cilantro and mint.

Harissa [Vegan]

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dried red cayenne peppers
• 20 mild red chilis such as the Byadgi or Ancho Chilies (also dried)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint (optional)

Preparation

1. Soak the chilies with 1/2 cup warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and reserve the water.
2. In the meantime, toast the cumin and coriander seeds. Grind to a powder in a coffee grinder.
3. Place the chilies, ground spices, garlic, salt and olive oil with a little water in a blender and grind to a paste.
4. Add in the chopped cilantro and the mint and pulse a few times. Use some more water if needed.
5. Store the mixture in the refrigerator and use as needed.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/harissa/