Spicy harissa paste with added Chia
Harissa paste is a fragrant fiery aromatic condiment used in North African & Middle Eastern recipes & is incredibly tasty & versatile. It can be added to soups & stews to add heat & depth of flavour, made into a delicious spicy hot salad dressing or or marinade for poulty/ tofu steaks. Adding milled chia seeds adds extra goodness (omega-3s, fibre & high quality protein) & also thickens the paste.
The beauty? It is very simple to make: no cooking required! A little goes a long way (you only need a little to add to dishes) & it makes a lovely gift.
Preparation time: approx. 40 mins (with 30 mins soaking time…I sometimes leave mine to soak overnight)
Makes 120g (4oz)
Keeps for 6-8 months
70g dried chillies
4 plump garlic cloves
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp rose pepper if you can get it, otherwise ground pepper is fine
5 tsbp extra virgin olive oil plus extra to cover the paste with
1 tbsp milled chia seeds
Soak the chillies in water for 30 mins at least (I sometimes leave mine for overnight) if it is more convenient. Drain.
Transfer softened chillies into a food processor & add the garlic, milled chia seeds, spices & 4tbsp of olive oil. Whizz to make a paste.
Spoon into sterilized jam jars. Cover with extra olive oil. Label.
Store harissa in the fridge.
Serving suggestions:
- Mix with greek yoghurt, lemon juice to make a lovely marinade for poultry & tofu steaks.
- Mix with lemon juice, honey, black pepper, cider or rice wine vinegar for a spicy tasty salad dressing.
Don’t forget you can find my favourite recipes in my FREE eBook here.
