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Homemade Rose Harissa Paste
5 from 45 votes

Homemade Rose Harissa Paste

This Homemade Rose Harissa Paste combines roasted red bell peppers, a blend of toasted seeds, garlic, and chillies with subtle floral notes from rose petals and rose water. The roasting imparts a smoky depth while the rose ingredients add a distinctive aromatic layer, making it a unique chili paste. This harissa is suited for adding warmth and complexity to dishes like stews, grilled meats, or roasted vegetables.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 24 tablespoons
Calories: 44 kcal
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Persian, Moroccan, Israeli, Turkish, Lebanese, North African

Ingredients

  • 6 garlic a whole bulb if roasting, cloves
  • 2.2 pounds red bell pepper about 5 large bell peppers
  • 4 chilli pepper adjust to taste, red
  • 2 ancho chilli or more to taste, dried, optional
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , and more for storing
  • 2 tablespoons dried rose petals
  • 2 tablespoons rose water , or a teaspoon of rose water concentrate
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 430 °F. Reduce the heat accordingly if using a fan oven.
  2. Take a whole garlic bulb – or select 6 large cloves – and remove some of the loose skins. But do not unpeel it all the way. Rub with olive oil and wrap it in foil.
  3. Cut the red peppers in half. Remove and discard the cores, veins and seeds. Then place the peppers skin-side up on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Add the foil-covered garlic.
  4. Leave any small chillies whole for roasting. Cut large chillies in half if you want to scrape out the seeds and membranes for a milder harissa paste – or roast them whole too. Add the chillies to the sheet pan.
  5. Place the sheet pan in the hot oven for 15 minutes. Remove any small chillies – if using – and rotate the tray before returning it to the oven. Roast until the red pepper skin is wrinkly and charred in places – about 10 to 15 minutes more.
  6. If you are using dried ancho chillies, remove the stems and shake out the seeds. Then add them to a heatproof bowl and completely cover them with boiling water. Leave for 20 minutes to rehydrate. Roughly chop the flesh and set aside until needed.
  7. Once roasted, pile the peppers on a plate and cover with an upside-down heatproof mixing bowl, or use cling film. You want them to steam a little while they cool down so that the skins are easier to peel off. Leave aside until cool enough to handle.
  8. Place a large pan on medium-high heat and, once hot, toast the spices until fragrant and popping – about 3 minutes. Shake the pan from time to time for even toasting. Tip the toasted spices into a spice grinder and blitz until ground – or use a mortar and pestle.
  9. Once the roasted peppers are cool enough to handle, remove their skins. Most of the skin should come off without effort. You can leave the small stubborn pieces. Open the foil parcel – be mindful of steam when hot – and pop out the garlic cloves. They won’t be completely soft, but they will already be sweeter. If you roasted a whole garlic bulb, pick 6 large garlic cloves and store the rest in the fridge for quick weeknight flavour boosters. Or – if you are feeling particularly garlicky – use all the cloves.
  10. Roughly chop the garlic, peeled peppers and chillies. Add them to a food processor with the rehydrated chillies, spices and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Blitz everything together into a coarse paste, scraping down the sides if needed.
  11. Place 5 tablespoons of olive oil in the large pan you used for toasting spices. Add the red pepper mixture from the food processor and place the pan on medium heat. Add the rose petals and half of the rose water. Stir until the paste and oil are combined and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The paste is ready once the mixture is darker and there is no more liquid from the peppers, only the wonderfully flavoured red oil seeping from the paste. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the remaining rose water. Taste and season with more salt if necessary. Don’t be alarmed, the spiciness will subside a touch once it cools down!
  12. Transfer the paste to a sterilised glass jar and cover it with olive oil. Refrigerate for up to a month. You can also freeze the paste in an ice cube tray for quick pops of flavour.

Notes

  • You may substitute jarred roasted peppers for fresh ones and skip the roasting step, but toast the garlic and chilies in a pan to preserve flavor.
  • Adjust the heat level by removing seeds from larger chilies or changing the amount of fresh and dried chilies; more than six hot chilies will increase spiciness significantly.
  • If you lack a spice grinder, use good-quality pre-ground spices totaling about four tablespoons for this recipe.
  • Rose water varies in strength; start with less and add more to taste, even after cooking with the paste.
  • Store the harissa with a thin layer of olive oil on top to prevent spoilage and use within a reasonable time.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1tablespoon Calories 44kcal (2%) Carbohydrates 4g (1%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 3g (5%) Saturated Fat 0.4g (2%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g (2%) Monounsaturated Fat 2g (10%) Sodium 100mg (4%) Potassium 130mg (3%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 1378IU (28%) Vitamin C 65mg (72%) Calcium 14mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24 tablespoons

Amount Per Serving

Calories 44

% Daily Value*

Serving 1tablespoon
Calories 44kcal 2%
Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 0.4g 2%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Sodium 100mg 4%
Potassium 130mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 1378IU 28%
Vitamin C 65mg 72%
Calcium 14mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.