A tiny little kick to this awesomeness of the Ragi Crackers.Harissa. Harissa is a condiment that is used in middle eastern cuisine. And every region has its own version. Some use e type of chilies, some use a combination, some roast the peppers, some cook in oil..Some have pomegranate molasses some have vinegar. This by far was the most uncomplicated version. I saw someone on MasterChef Australia cook up a storm with Harissa and I have wanted to try it out ever since.I wasn't too impressed with the bottle,so I sifted around books and websites and mixed up a few versions to come here.Made Lebanese style with no vinegar. Every condiment need not be sour ,right?So this version of Harissa wasn't. Isn't. Sour.
But it smells amazing, is spicy,but not that spicy that it will burn your innards and has the natural flavor of these red peppers.We use them for pickles in North India.But never wanted it to be same old same old.And we've done enough of the schezwan sauce for now.So Harissa. It goes with parantha, idli, dosa, vadai, pakodas,mirchi bada, Bhel,sandwiches, you name it. It makes everything taste great. And I didn't use olive oil either.Different from your regular chutney on the table, it's worth a try.For the
Harissa...
You need
500 GMs red peppers 8-10 cloves of garlic1 tbsp coriander seeds1 tsp caraway seedsSalt1/3 cup oil -I used canola oil
You need to cut the chilies and deseed them. Best way to do, wear gloves.If you do accidentally touch too many, wash your hands with a little milk. Better than water,milk.
Process the chilli and garlic with the salt. 
Dry roast the spices over low heat and pound them .
In a large sauce PAN cook out the Harissa over low heat for 15 minutes till most of the liquid has evaporated .
Turn off the heat and add the oil and the spices.Mix and cook again for 5-6 minutes.And you're done.
Serve the Harissa as a dip, or as a base on your canapés...You know what you put in that sauce. And it's all healthy.So store the Harissa in a glass jar in your fridge for up to a month.
Pretty sauces and dips make other things prettier.I also used this on a dosa. While the dosa was cooking, I spread the Harissa on and allowed the dosa to cook.PS that was a Ragi dosa... That's coming up too
So when you sip your next cup of tea... Dunk your biscuit into the Harissa first.Or just place a spoon of this delicious chutney on your dal...Or just serve this with your cheese toast...The Middle Eastern Mistique has a was of enthralling.So what are you baking today???
