Algerian Harrissa Not A Chilli Sauce But A Sweet Recipes

EASY HARISSA RECIPE

Steps:

• Soak and prepare the dried chiles. Place the dried chiles in a heat-safe bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside for 30 minutes until the chiles are tender and re-hydrated. Drain the chiles and remove the stems and seeds.
• Combine chiles with the remaining ingredients. Transfer the chiles to the bowl of a large food processor fitted with a blade. Add the tomato paste, roasted red peppers, garlic, ground caraway seeds, coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne (if using), and a large pinch of kosher salt. Add fresh lemon juice.
• Make the harissa paste. Run the food processor, and while it's running, drizzle the extra virgin olive oil from the top opening. Stop the processor to scrape down the sides and run again until you reach the desired paste-like texture. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking (remember that harissa paste will deepen in flavor as it sits in the fridge over the next day or two).
• Store. Transfer the harissa paste to a clean mason jar. Cover with a very thin layer of extra virgin olive oil, then cover the jar with its lid tightly and refrigerate.

DERSA (ALGERIAN CHILE PASTE)

Steps:

• Place garlic, chile pepper, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a mortar; grind into a paste using a pestle. Pour in olive oil and mix well.

TAMINA - ALGERIAN TOASTED SEMOLINA & HONEY SWEET

Steps:

• In a saucepan heat the semolina over a medium-high heat. Keep shaking the pan until the semolina is evenly toasted & a rich golden brown colour. Pour into a bowl & set aside.
• Melt the butter / margarine in the empty pan you used to toast the semolina. Remove from the heat & stir in the honey.
• Pour the semolina back into the pan & mix well to combine it with the butter & honey. If you notice the semolina mixture is too runny or has a little extra butter on top, just add a little extra semolina to the pan. If the semolina mixture is a little too stiff to pour, add 1 teaspoon extra of both the butter & the honey & mix well.
• Pour the semolina mixture out onto a small dinner plate or side plate & decorate with the cinnamon, silver balls & any additional items you like ( I used satin bows & a paper tea roses in the pic ) To make a pretty pattern with the cinnamon, use the rim of a small tea glass or shaped cookie cookers dipped in the ground cinnamon.

ALGERIAN HELOUWA TA'ABA (LEMON OR SESAME COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs & the oil.
• Add the baking powder (& lemon zest if using), & slowly add the flour, mixing the ingredients with your hands until a dough forms. You will probably not need all of the flour.
• Once you have a firm dough, you can shape your helouwa.
• To shape, you have 2 choices: you can roll out to 5mm thickness & cut out with your favourite cookie cutters OR you can roll into a 1cm thick 'sausage' & make rings & straight lengths them decorate with a 'Nakkach' or fork if you don't have one. (See photos).
• If making the sesame version, once you have cut out all your cookies, brush a little beaten egg over the top of the cookies & sprinkle with the sesame seeds.
• Place on a tray lined with aluminium foil (shiny side up) & bake for 25-28 minutes. The cookies should be pale but hard when tapped. (Unless you want them soft on the inside, in which case you should take them out after 20 minutes).
• Allow to cool then store in an airtight container for upto 2 weeks.

ALGERIAN HARRISSA - NOT A CHILLI SAUCE BUT A SWEET!

Steps:

• Place the almonds, sugar orange blossom water & margarine in a food processor & mix to form a firm paste.
• Split paste into 3 equal parts. Leave one natural and mix colouring into the other 2. Dust surfaces with cornflour. Roll paste into 3 long sausages then plait together. If using coconut, you'll not be able to plait them so lay them next to each other, then gently push them together so they stick to each other.
• Dust hands with a little cornflour and form the paste into as many little balls as you can get ( a little larger than a Malteser). Lightly press the top of each ball into s little sugar.
• With a matchstick or similar, make a indentation in the middle of the ball. Take a screw top from a bottle (coke etc) and gently press the rim of the top, starting from the middle and rolling the top out so that you get a little arc.
• Repeat this until you have covered the ball - usually 6 or so top marks. You should have what looks like a flower.
• Place a silver ball, piece of cherry or angelica etc into the centre of the flower. Place the harrissa into tiny sweet cases to serve.
• As an alternative. Instead of plaiting the paste, roll out and layer then cut into lozenge/diamond shapes.