Vickys Harissa Paste for Moroccan/African Cooking GF DF EF SF NF

Soften the chillies by soaking in hot water in a heatproof bowl for 30 minutes

Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan until fragrant then crush with a mortar & pestle or grind in a coffee grinder

Drain the chillies but reserve the liquid. Cut off the stems and discard the seeds then mix the chillies with the garlic, ground spices, tomato puree, lemon juice and salt in a blender

Pulse and drizzle in the olive oil as you go, forming a thick paste. Keep scraping down the sides and add some of the reserved chilli liquid until the paste is to desired consistency. It should be slightly thicker than tomato paste

Taste and adjust the seasonings. The flavour will really come together after a couple of days so make in advance then taste again and add more seasonings to taste

Store in a jar and pour a layer of olive oil on top before you seal the jar and add a fresh layer of oil everytime you take some paste out

Makes around 250mls of harissa paste and keeps well in the fridge for around 6 weeks

Use in African dishes and Moroccan tagines for a burst of heat and flavour

You can also add sundried tomatoes, roasted peppers, preserved lemon, fresh coriander leaf to your harissa

Serving amount is by teaspoon