Reviewed: Jan. 21, 2012

I've never eaten Harissa before but need it for a number of recipes in a new cookbook I received for Christmas. I couldn't find the product ANYwhere, so I made it myself. It's pretty good! I don't know my way around hot peppers, but all I could find were Scotch Bonnet Peppers (my fingers still burn a little from chopping them up)! I also made the mistake of adding the full 1/2 cup of olive oil to the mix ... so the texture is obviously more fluid than a paste. In any case, I've made the first recipe that uses it and it tastes fantastic as the main source of flavour (with garlic). Oh, it also did not turn out red. More of a green ... perhaps because the ratio was off when I added all the olive oil?

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2 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Lelena109

Home Town: Grimsby, Ontario, Canada

Living In: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Reviewed: Jun. 16, 2011

Excellent. I did make some changes since I didn't have any Mint on hand. I added toasted ground Caraway and Fennel seeds to the recipe. I used New Mexico Chiles that are somewhat mild and a small handfull of Arbol Chiles to turn up the heat and omitted the Cilantro. I upped the Cumin and Coriander since I love very spicy. Great on anything, especially grilled foods! THX!

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4 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

winechef

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: El Paso, Texas, USA

Living In: Boyce, Virginia, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 3, 2010

Love this! You can use a variety of peppers, and I like the mint in it. So much better than what you find in the stores!

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7 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Cazuela

Supporting Member (Click to learn more about Supporting Membership)

Living In: Seattle, Washington, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 10, 2009

Tried this a few months back, before I became a member. So good it needs a review. Harissa with mint? Never knowing this version of Harissa (one of my favourite accompaniments), I went to the local, bought the bits I needed, and went to work. Wow. The mint introduces the cumin and garlic so well, it is as though the Harissa has a Master of Ceremonies. If you have never tried making it this way, I impress upon you: your dinner guests will love you.

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9 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

genre slur

Reviewed: Nov. 1, 2009

Very tasty and traditional african condiment. I used a large handful of rehydrated del arbol peppers as these are easy to find in the grocery store. I sauteed the garlic first in a bit of olive oil and add chopped fresh mint after removing from the heat. Then blended all the ingredients in my chopper. Slather on steaks before grilling/broiling and mix into mayo to make a killer steak sandwich.

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9 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

ESC

Reviewed: Aug. 27, 2009

This is a great recipe! As always, I mix things up a bit, I will often add lemon juice right before serving with bread, and (I live in houston, this goes GREAT with tex-mex) I usually put in some chipotle pepper as well!

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9 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Louise

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Living In: Houston, Texas, USA

Reviewed: Jun. 30, 2009

Very similar to what we have when we go to North Africa. It had great heat. We had it with lamb burgers. I can't wait to try it tomorrow with tuna.

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5 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

linda

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Jul. 16, 2008

Wonderful recipe, very forgiving! I modified ingredients based on what was available, and came out excellent, probably not quite as spicy as the original, as the bird chilies weren't to be found. Makes a great sauce for pork or chicken when mixed with plain yogurt, can be used as a stir-fry sauce, and was yummy just plain on top of smoked oysters. One thing that seemed nice was to toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry skillet before blending. Next time I will add the chilies after blending the rest so that the sauce is slightly chunky instead of pureed.

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15 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

DrKen

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Dickinson, North Dakota, USA

Reviewed: May 3, 2008

This is So SO SO Flavoursome, I have made it 6 times and everytime it has come out perfectly,everytime though i have added more Chillies to increase the heat..BEST CHILLI SAUCE AROUND.. Great on ham sandwiches..

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7 users found this review helpful