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.