Author Notes: Oil free version of harissa. Adapted from various harissa recipes. —happymontycooks
Makes: 8 ounce jar
Ingredients
-
4
ounces dried chiles, stemmed and seeded
-
4
tablespoons cumin seeds
-
5
tablespoons coriander seeds
-
5
garlic cloves,smashed and roughly chopped
-
15
ounces can of olives (I used green olives, not sure how it will taste with black olives)
Directions
- If you’re concerned about sodium, soak olives in water overnight and drain. Pit olives if they are not already pitted.
- Place the dried chiles in a bowl and pour enough boiling water over them to completely submerge them. Allow the chiles to soften (about 20 minutes). Drain, reserving some of the liquid.
- Toast the cumin and coriander seeds on a dry pan over medium low heat until fragrant. Grind using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
- Place drained/pitted the olives, drained chiles, garlic, and ground spices into a food processor. Process to desired consistency. Add the reserved liquid if you desire a thinner consistency.
- Note: This is a general template for harissa. Other harissa recipes call for roasted bell peppers, mint, onions, and other spices (like caraway seeds). As part of my restrictive diet poker, I eliminated the olive oil and added salt by replacing it with whole olives. While olives are soaked in brine, I attempted to mitigate the sodium level by soaking them in water before hand.