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If you love exploring new cuisines and spice blends, then you need to try homemade harissa powder! This aromatic and fiery North African spice mix is incredibly versatile and adds a delicious taste of flavor to many dishes.
In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make your own homemade harissa powder and by the end, you’ll be ready to make this warm and earthy seasoning to liven up your cooking.
What is Harissa Powder?
Harissa powder is from North African countries like Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. It’s commonly used as a condiment or seasoning to add heat and depth to various stews, tagines, couscous dishes, sandwiches, and more.
The base of harissa powder is ground chili peppers blended with other spices like cumin, coriander, caraway, and paprika. This creates an intensely aromatic, reddish-orange powder with some serious kick! The flavor is simultaneously smoky, sweet, savory, and spicy.
Compared to the paste form of harissa which has more of a thick, spreadable texture, the powder is a dried and finely ground blend that can sprinkled as seasoning. The paste and powder can both be used in cooking, but the powder has a longer shelf life and is more versatile as an all-purpose spice mix.
Why Make Homemade Harissa Powder?
There are a few reasons why making your own harissa powder at home is worthwhile:
- You can control the spiciness level and flavor to suit your tastes exactly. Like it extra fiery? Just add more hot peppers or cayenne!
- It’s significantly cheaper than buying pre-made powder which can be expensive. The ingredients are simple pantry staples.
- It will taste fresher and more aromatic than store-bought versions.
- You can make a large batch to have on hand whenever a recipe calls for it. It stores very well in an airtight container.
- It’s an easy and fun DIY spice blend that makes you feel like a seasoned chef!
Harissa Powder Recipe
The beauty of harissa powder is that it requires just a handful of ingredients, most of which you likely have on hand already:
- Dried chile peppers – The traditional pepper used is called baklouti, but they can be hard to source. Common substitutions are guajillo, ancho, New Mexico, arbol, or your preferred dried chiles.
- Whole spices – Cumin seeds, coriander seeds, caraway seeds, and black peppercorns provide warm, earthy flavor notes.
- Smoked paprika – Adds a lovely smokiness and also lends the powder its rich red color.
- Garlic powder – For aroma and pungency. Dried parsley and oregano also enhance the overall flavor.
- Salt – I prefer smoked salt but regular table salt works too. This helps amplify all the other flavors.
- Ground cayenne (optional) – Want an extra spicy powder? Cayenne really turns up the heat.
Equipment Needed
You don’t need any fancy equipment to make harissa powder. The only tool that’s indispensable is:
- A spice grinder – This can be a small dedicated coffee/spice grinder, a powerful blender, or my personal favorite – a mortar and pestle. A mortar and pestle may be more labor intensive, but it really lets you grind the spices down into an ultra-fine powder.
The Step-by-Step Method
Ready to make some spicy magic? Here is the full method:
- Prep the dried peppers – Start by removing any stems and seeds if you want to control the heat level (seeds add more spice). Rinse the peppers briefly to remove dirt or dust. Pat them completely dry.
- Toast the peppers – Heat a dry cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chile peppers and toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Don’t let them burn. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Toast the spices – Add the cumin, coriander, caraway seeds, and peppercorns to the hot skillet. Toast for 2-3 minutes until you can smell their fragrances. Immediately transfer to a separate plate to cool.
- Grind the toasted peppers and spices -Once cooled, grind them up in small batches in your spice grinder or with the mortar and pestle. I like to start with the peppers first until they become a coarse powder.
- Add remaining ingredients – In a small bowl, combine the ground toasted peppers and spices. Mix in the smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried parsley, oregano, and salt.
- Blend thoroughly – Give everything a final grind/blend until the powder has a fine, even consistency.
- Store in a jar – Transfer the homemade harissa powder to an airtight container like a jar or spice bottle. Store away from heat and sunlight.
And that’s it – you now have a heavenly batch of spicy, addictive North African harissa powder! The toasting steps are super important for maximizing the depth of flavors.
Storage and Shelf Life
Stored properly in an airtight container away from heat, light, and moisture, the powder will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Over time, the oils in the ground spices can go rancid which makes the powder taste bitter.
To extend the shelf life even longer (up to 6 months), you can store it in the refrigerator or freezer. The cold helps preserve the flavors better.
How to Use Harrissa Powder
A world of culinary possibilities opens up with this versatile spice blend! Here are just a few ways to enjoy it:
- Sprinkle it on chicken, beef, lamb, fish or tofu before grilling or roasting
- Mix it into olive oil as a spicy drizzling sauce for breads.
- Add it to lentil or chickpea soups and stews
- Rub it on salmon or shrimp before searing in a hot pan
- Swirl it into hummus, baba ghanoush or labneh dip
- Season vegetables like cauliflower, carrots and potatoes before roasting
- Mix it into ground meat for making spicy burgers or meatballs
- Add it to scrambled or fried eggs for a morning kick
- Toss it with popcorn or nuts for snacking
-Blend it into vinaigrettes and marinades
As you can see, the flavor combinations are endless! It’s especially good in Middle Eastern or North African dishes like couscous, tagines and kebabs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about homemade harissa powder:
What’s the Difference Between Harissa Powder and Regular Chili Powder?
Harissa powder contains warm, earthy spices like cumin, coriander and caraway while regular chili powder is often just pure ground chiles. Harissa is also smokier, more fragrant and complex.
Is Harissa Powder Spicy?
It can range from mildly spicy to very spicy depending on the type of dried peppers used and whether seeds are included. Removing all seeds will create a milder powder. Guajillo and New Mexico chiles make a more mild harissa.
How do you turn harissa powder into harissa paste?
Simply mix the harissa powder with some olive oil, lemon juice and salt in a food processor until it comes together into a thick paste. You can adjust the consistency by adding more oil or water as needed.
Harissa Powder Substitute
Popular substitute are chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, or for more authentic flavor try the North African spice blend ras el hanout.
Should harissa powder be refrigerated?
It’s not strictly necessary, but refrigerating or freezing the powder will help extend its shelf life and prevent it from losing potency over time. Bring to room temperature before using.
When a recipe calls for harissa paste but you only have the powder, what should you do?
No problem, just mix the powder with some olive oil and salt until it forms a thick paste consistency. Start with 1 tablespoon oil per 1 teaspoon powder. Add more oil or a splash of water as needed.
Key Takeaway
With its addictive smoky-sweet-spicy flavor profile, harissa powder is sure to become your new favorite spice blend for everything from meat rubs to veggie roasts. Making your own at home lets you customize the flavors exactly how you like it.
I hope this article has inspired you to give homemade harissa powder a try. Let me know in the comments how it turns out and how you like to use harissa to add some heat to your dishes!
Harissa Powder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded (add more for spicier powder)
- 3 dried 3 dried, stemmed and seeded
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional, for more heat)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (for color and earthy flavor)
Instructions
- Prep the dried peppers - Start by removing any stems and seeds if you want to control the heat level (seeds add more spice). Rinse the peppers briefly to remove dirt or dust. Pat them completely dry.6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded (add more for spicier powder), 3 dried 3 dried, stemmed and seeded
- Toast the peppers - Heat a dry cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chile peppers and toast for 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Don't let them burn. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- Toast the spices - Add the cumin, coriander, caraway seeds, and peppercorns to the hot skillet. Toast for 2-3 minutes until you can smell their fragrances. Immediately transfer to a separate plate to cool.1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon caraway seeds, 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- Grind the toasted peppers and spices -Once cooled, grind them up in small batches in your spice grinder or with the mortar and pestle. I like to start with the peppers first until they become a coarse powder.
- Add remaining ingredients - In a small bowl, combine the ground toasted peppers and spices. Mix in the smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, dried parsley, oregano, and salt.1 tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional, for more heat), 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- Blend thoroughly - Give everything a final grind/blend until the powder has a fine, even consistency.
- Store in a jar - Transfer the homemade harissa powder to an airtight container like a jar or spice bottle. Store away from heat and sunlight.
