Moroccan Harissa with Fresh Chili Peppers and Sweet Red Peppers

Harissa is a spicy North African condiment of Tunisian origins. (It's not to be confused with sweet Algerian harissa cookies which are like a revani or a basboussa). Harrisa chili paste is always sold alongside olives in our markets. Harissa can vary from mild to extremely hot, so you need to be aware of what you are buying in order not to be disappointed.

The reason why some harissa pastes are milder than others comes down to the use of sweet peppers in the mix. The more you add, if at all, the milder it will be.

Making your own harissa is rewarding on many levels. You can adjust the heat, and you can be sure that no chemicals added, such as that nasty red color usually found in commercially produced harissa.

Types of Harissa in Morocco

There are many harissa recipes. Some use fresh dried red chili pepper while others use fresh chili peppers—red or green—leading to a red or a green harissa. Some add sweet pepper to balance the heat.

Harissa made from dried chili peppers lasts longer since the paste is topped with olive oil in its container. The version using fresh pepper needs to be kept in the fridge or ideally frozen to last for months.

My family makes both kinds—one using hot dried chili peppers and another with a mix of hot and fresh sweet pointy peppers. The recipe below is for the fresh pepper harissa.

Mild Homemade Harissa Chili Paste

I'm sharing a family recipe of a mild harissa we use to lift sauces and to give them a red tone. I even use it a spread.

Since we cook with this harissa as well as serve it as a side condiment, we tend to make it mild by using more sweet red peppers than the hot ones. If you want a hot harissa, add more hot chili peppers or use less sweet pepper.

The recipe is open to more adaptation. For example, you can omit sweet peppers altogether and use only fresh hot peppers. In that case you can choose to make a red or green harissa.

If are feeling more adventurous and like fiery condiments, maybe my dried chili pepper harissa is for you.

Moroccan Harissa Chili Paste Recipe with Fresh Peppers

Nada Kiffa | Taste of Maroc

Harissa paste is a North African chili paste with different spices from family to another. Originally Tunisian, you will find it used and sold across the Maghreb countries.

This version of harissa is made using fresh cayenne peppers for heat but also fresh sweet pepper (pointy ones) for body and sweetness.

The recipe is fairly versatile. Each family adjusts the heat to their liking according to intended use. In Morocco, we like to add preserved lemons to the mix.