How to Make Harissa Paste from Powder

Learn how to make harissa paste from powder. This is an easy way to make homemade harissa paste and is a great alternative to making it from scratch! Use this harissa paste on veggies, fish, or in sauces or stews.

We can't all be lucky enough to keep harissa paste on hand. Or even be able to find it! It can be tricky. Luckily, if you have harissa powder, you can easily make harissa paste from it. Then you can use this flavorful spice in so many ways.

This is an easy harissa paste recipe that only uses 3 ingredients. And it is so quick to whip up (takes less than 3 minutes), you can make as small or as large of a batch you need whenever you want.

What is harissa?

Harissa is a spicy condiment with origins in North Africa. It's typically made from chili peppers, cumin, garlic, and sometimes mint and/or rose petals.

Different types of harissa:

Harissa can be found as a ground spice or a paste. The spice is great sprinkled on foods, and the paste usually incorporates oil and water to bring more liquid, It's delicious as a marinade on meats or thrown into pasta or on veggies. Both types of harissa are delicious!

You can buy harissa at many grocery stores, many times in the international aisle (sometimes it can come in mild, medium, or spicy). It can also be found at speciality grocery stores.

I've found that the harissa ground spice powder is a bit easier to locate than the paste. Which is why I typically keep the harissa spice around, and then make homemade harissa paste from powder.

How to use harissa:

Harissa can be used in so many dishes! It is one of my favorite spices, which is why you will find a lot of harissa recipes here on the blog. It's delicious used on veggies like these harissa roasted carrots.

I also love using harissa to make homemade harissa butter or tossing a bit in pasta like this creamy harissa pasta. It's also delicious made into a sauce like with this roasted cauliflower with a harissa tahini sauce.

Ingredients:

Making harissa paste from powder is so easy and only requires three ingredients. Harissa powder, olive oil, and water.

How to make:

Making this homemade harissa paste is so easy. First, gather your oil, water, and spice and measure out.

Combine the three into a bowl.

Mix together, and then let sit for a minute. Add more oil or powder if needed, to reach desired consistency.

Recipe tips:

• If you want a thick harissa paste, use a 2:1:1 ratio of powder:oil:water. However, I found that using a 2:2:1 ratio tends to work better for me.
• If your homemade harissa paste is too thick, simply add a bit more oil until you reach your desired consistency.
• Alternately, if your paste is too thin, add a bit more spice powder to thicken.
• You can heat the paste to make sure everything incorporates well together. However, I rarely take that extra step.
• The recipe will keep in the fridge for around a week. I typically make just around the amount I need, so I don't have leftovers.