cooking / sauces

Rose Harissa

serves 1 to 1.5 cups · about 1 hour · 15 minutes (plus 30 minutes soaking) hands on · easy

Why This Works

Charring the dried chilies and garlic before soaking, and toasting the cumin, coriander, and caraway in the same pan, layers smoke under the heat; rosewater and dried rose petals add the floral note that makes Ottolenghi's version distinctive. It has a serious kick — removing the stems and seeds after the chilies rehydrate dials the heat down.

Ingredients

  • 40 g dried Kashmiri red chilies or guajillo chilies
  • 25 g dried ancho chilies
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
  • 1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp dried rose petals
  • 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or paprika
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp rosewater, divided
  • 4 Tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

Method

  1. Toast the chilies and garlic: place a large frying pan over high heat. Once very hot, add the chilies and garlic and toast until fragrant and charred, about 2 minutes. Set the garlic aside; transfer the chilies to a heat-proof bowl.
  2. Soak the chilies: cover with boiling water, weigh down with a small plate, and soak 30 minutes. Strain. Remove the stems and seeds now to bring the heat down, then roughly chop and add to a food processor.
  3. Toast and crush the seeds (while the chilies soak): toast the cumin, coriander, and caraway in the same pan over medium-high until fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Roughly crush in a mortar and pestle, then add to the food processor with the garlic, tomato paste, rose petals, sugar, and chili powder. Pulse a few times to combine.
  4. Blitz to a paste: add the lemon juice, half the rosewater, the cider vinegar, 4 Tbsp of the olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Blitz to a coarse paste.
  5. Finish: transfer to a bowl and gently stir in the remaining rosewater and remaining 4 Tbsp olive oil. Taste and adjust salt (full amount is 1 1/2 tsp).

Notes

  • Store in a sterilized airtight jar, covered with a layer of olive oil, refrigerated — keeps several weeks. Freezes well in ice-cube trays for months; pop out a cube as needed.
  • A true flavor multiplier: stir into soups and stews, spoon over roasted vegetables, eggs, or proteins, swirl into hummus or grain bowls, or use as a base for weeknight tofu marinades.