You’ll love this easy-to-make rose harissa recipe, if you’re a fan of North African flavors, spicy heat, and/or Ottolenghi cookbooks! Rose harissa is hard to find in stores but oh so simple to make at home.
Want to learn more about Middle Eastern cuisines and ingredients? Read our other Tasting Jerusalem posts.
Some great recipes using harissa are my roasted harissa potatoes with preserved lemon gremolata or harissa chicken with preserved lemons.
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Why you’ll love this recipe!
If you enjoy adding spice to your food and like to explore new variations, then you’ll love this rose harissa recipe. Originating in Tunisia in North Africa, you might be familiar with harissa, possibly even noticing it on the shelves in Trader Joe’s!
But what about this rose-infused version? When Chef Yotam Ottolenghi suggested rose harissa as one of his 10 must-have ingredients in his 2018 cookbook Simple, it created a bit of a stir. In many parts of the world, this sauce is not readily available and, quite frankly, is unknown.
Use this recipe as a much easier (and cost-effective) way to get your hands on rose harissa. It’s the easy solution to avoid ordering from the a jar of rose harissa from the UK on Amazon or through the Ottolenghi store.
Ingredients you’ll need
Once you gather your ingredients, which pack a powerful punch of flavor, the rest of the cooking process is very quick!
- Caraway, Cumin, Coriander Seeds: Note that these are whole seeds, not ground. You’ll want the whole seeds to heat them in a pan to release the flavors.
- Chile de Arbol: We like the flavor and spice level of this variety. Easily found at any store that sells a deep variety of Latin, Mexican, or Hispanic ingredients. Can’t find them? Try red pepper flakes. 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon of flakes is equivalent to one chile de arbol.
- Serrano peppers: We also love fresno chiles for this but they are usually harder to find. Whichever you find will work nicely.
- Rose Petals and Rose Water: Both available either online or at your local Middle Eastern market. They are both relatively inexpensive (purchased in the market) and will last a long time stored properly.
- Smoked Paprika: Give the rose harissa a class smoky undertone. No need for spicy smoked paprika – the serranos and arbol will provide plenty of heat!
How to make this recipe
Gather and measure all of your ingredients. This recipe is fairly simple but having everything ready will make it even easier. The dried chiles need about 20 minutes to rehydrate.
1. Pan fry the spices in a touch of olive oil.
2. Let the spices cool and grind them up in an old coffee grinder, small food processor or mortar and pestle with the dried rose petals.
3. Then add in the smoked paprika.
4. In the same pan you used for the spices, sauté your shallots, garlic, and peppers.
5. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend/process until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt or rose water as needed.
6. Put in a sterilized jar, top with olive oil, and store in the refrigerator.
See my rose harissa web story for a quick visual guide of how to make this recipe.
Expert Tips and FAQs
- As mentioned above, prepare all of your ingredients before proceeding with the recipe. It will make this harissa come together so easily.
- As with almost any spice blend or spice paste, feel free to try different levels of heat, more of one ingredient, less of another. Some variations are already included, like alternative peppers, but feel free to play with other elements as well. My rule of thumb – follow the recipe the first time, then play as much as you want!
- A coffee grinder that you’ve dedicated to be a spice grinder is a great tool. But as you can see in the pictures, I used a basic mortar and pestle with great success.
Harissa is a spice sauce of Tunisian (North African) origin. There are many variations to the recipe, but the basic building blocks are spicy dried or fresh peppers, caraway, cumin, garlic, olive oil and an acid – usually lemon juice. There are ground harissa spice blends, too, for sprinkling on dishes.
Rose harissa includes dried rose petals and/or rosewater to both soften the kick of the chilies and add an unexpected floral counterbalance to the spicy, smoky peppers.
You can but I’ve personally yet to see it in the United States. It is available online and I’ve seen it in the Ottolenghi shops in London.
Yes! Harissa adds a spicy zing to recipes. With the addition of the rose flavor, the harissa becomes more prominent in dishes—because rose is a less common flavor. So your palate picks it up more.
Take that into consideration when adding the rose to this recipe or using the spicy mixture in a dish you’re preparing. We actually like to use rose harissa in recipes that call for traditional harissa because it gives dishes that extra dimension of flavor.
When you make it, be sure to use a sterilized glass jar for storage to help extend the life. You’ll use it up before it will spoil, but the refrigerated shelf life is about two weeks. You can also freeze it in one or two tablespoon amounts for a quick spice infusion anytime you need it.
If you have a jar of store-bought or homemade harissa in the house, add some rose water or dried rose petals or both to add the rose flavor. Remember to add rose water in small increments – ½ teaspoon or less at a time. Too much is not a good thing. (Think soapy.)
For store-bought harissa, we like Trader Joe’s, though note that it’s spicier than some store-bought versions.
Use your favorite spicy red paste such as sriracha, Chinese chili-garlic paste, Korean gochujang, Southeast Asian sambal oelek. If you have any of these, add some preserved lemons to give it a North African flair.
How to use this flavorful condiment!
Murad Lahlou likens harissa to sriracha in his New Moroccan cookbook and suggests using it as a finishing touch to dishes – soups, stews, grains, proteins.
Other ideas:
- Mix it with some preserved lemons, rub it on chicken and bake it – it’s fantastic.
- Roast carrots and chickpeas with the rose harissa – no need to even add extra oil.
- Or how about the spice in a Bloody Mary?
- The kick in a tomato sauce
- Or a topping for Sunday brunch scrambled eggs or omelettes
- Or on top of store-bought or homemade hummus
Recipes to try:
Shakshuka – an easy egg dish for brunch or any meal of the day
One-pan Harissa Chicken with Preserved Lemons
Lahmajoun – a vegan version of a traditional Armenian flatbread
Ottolenghi’s Pappardelle with Rose Harissa
Reader Rave!
“One of the challenges of living in Tbilisi is that you have to make a lot of stuff yourself … I used rose harissa many times in the US and always bought a small jar from Amazon. Here, no such solution. This is great! I had to “make do” with local peppers … I have never seen serranos or Fresnos here … However, great rose petals and rose water from Iran are common, as well as fresh spices. I only wish I had quadrupled the recipe!“
Tad D
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Rose Harissa
Ingredients
- 4 Dried chili de arbol rehydrated
- 4 teaspoons olive oil divided use
- 2 serrano chilies chopped and seeded (preferable to use Fresno Chilies if you can find them)
- 1 ½ teaspoons coriander seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon rose petals
- 1 teaspoon rose water
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons shallot rough chopped
- 4 cloves garlic rough chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Pinch of sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Fry coriander, cumin, caraway in 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Remove spices and reserve oil.
- Grind spices with rose petals with a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder. Add smoked paprika.
- Heat reserved olive oil and 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet until very hot. Add shallot, garlic and Serrano or Fresno chilis and hydrated chili de arbol. Saute until golden.
- Place sauteed mixture, remaining olive oil, spices, tomato paste, lemon juice, rose water, pinch of sugar and salt in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Add additional salt and rose water, if needed.
- Store in the refrigerator in a glass jar with a layer of olive oil poured over the top, if desired.
Notes
- As mentioned above, prepare all of your ingredients before proceeding with the recipe. It will make this harissa come together so easily.
- As with almost any spice blend or spice paste, feel free to try different levels of heat, more of one ingredient, less of another. Some variations are already included, like alternative peppers, but feel free to play with other elements as well. My rule of thumb – follow the recipe the first time, then play as much as you want!
- A coffee grinder that you’ve dedicated to be a spice grinder is a great tool. But as you can see in the pictures, I used a basic mortar and pestle with great success.
Nutrition
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Sandi
This looks like a great recipe to try out. I love flavor and I am thinking of all of the ways to use harissa!
Beth Lee
Just when you think you can’t eat chicken one more time, along comes the rose harissa to the rescue!
Tad Davis
One of the challenges of living in Tbilisi is that you have to make a lot of stuff yourself if you want to use it. I used rose harissa many times in the US and always bought a small jar from Amazon. Here, no such solution. This is great! I had to “make do” with local peppers, which I actually think are probably closer to “real” harissa? I have never seen serranos or Fresnos here, and probably never will. However, great rose petals and rose water from Iran are common, as well as fresh spices. I only wish I had quadrupled the recipe!
Beth Lee
Thanks for sharing your local experience! Wow – you’re in Georgia right? So glad you loved the recipe and I agree – I always wish I had minimally doubled it, if not more. If only we could taste your version with your local peppers. I’m sure it’s fantastic! and I bet your rose water and petals are wonderful. Waving hello from California! Thanks for taking the time to write.
Melody
Are the rose pedals real petals from a rose bush. And if so, is a certain type of rose better than others ? And the rose water? Rose petals steeped in water ? I’m making this tonight or tomorrow night.
Beth Lee
Good questions! They are dried rose petals – usually purchased in a Middle Eastern market. They are small dried buds. If you were to use fresh, there would be too much moisture and not enough flavor. Re the rose water – you could probably make your own but I’ve never done it. I buy rose water also at the Middle Eastern market – inexpensive, lasts a LONG time because a tiny bit goes a long way. It’s an ingredient that is perfect in the right amount but not so great in abundance.
Beth Lee
P.S. You could try steeping your own rose water and if you do, let me know how it turns out! https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/drink/non-alcoholic-drink/rosewater-edible.html. But easiest solution is to buy a bottle and the dried rose petals at an international market.
Pearl
The picture shows dried rose petals. Can I use fresh?
Thanks!
Beth Lee
I talked to my co-leader of Tasting Jerusalem, Sarene Wallace, and we are both concerned about the moisture in fresh petals. Also dried petals have more intense flavor. All this to say, neither one of us has much experience using fresh petals to create flavor and definitely haven’t tried it in this recipe. So I can’t confidently recommend fresh as a substitute.
hilary walle-jensen
If i were to add dried rose petals to my existing harissa paste, what proportions would you suggest?
Beth Lee
Hi Hilary, well my rule of thumb with rose water and rose petals is to start minimal. Too much is never a good thing. I think start with 1/2 teaspoon crushed petals per cup (assuming your petals are very fragrant). Mix it in well and let it sit for a bit and then taste it. If you’re not getting the rose flavor, add more by 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoons at a time. Let me know how it works out!
hilary walle-jensen
Thank you very much! I will try that. – Hilary
Matt
I love Collected foods ROSE HARISSA, its on Amazon! It comes in powder form and is very versatile!!1
Beth Lee
Oh that’s interesting – powder form! Do you get the rose taste from it? I find the Belazu jarred version is missing the rose flavor. I am definitely going to look this brand up.
Tazkiyah
Attempted this recipe. Sooo easy and delicious!!
I made an Ottolenghi pasta recipe with this addition.
My husband said it’s the best I’ve ever made!
Beth Lee
I am so glad you liked the rose harissa and that terrific Ottolenghi pasta recipe – it’s in Simple right? I think I know just which one you made! Thanks for letting us know how much you liked the rose harissa recipe.
Nikki Ascroft
Is it possible to use fresh chillies for this recipe?
Beth Lee
Hi Nikki – so I assume you mean all fresh chilies without any dried. Yes I think you can – just realize that the fresh chilies provide a different flavor than the dried. From a Bon Appetit article – the difference is described this way: ““They bring a bright pop of heat versus a slow burn, like their dried counterparts.” So the flavor profile will definitely change but the other smoky ingredients should still give you that characteristic harissa flavor. Let us know how it comes out!
Josh
Holy moly! This is delicious!
I combined my harissa with some (vegan) butter and roasted cauliflower, lemon and chilli with it. It was so flavourful! Thanks for the recipe!
Beth Lee
Great idea! So delicious w cauliflower. Glad you love it. We enjoyed creating this recipe!
April J Harris
I love Rose Harissa but have always bought ready made. I’m so pleased to have this wonderful homemade recipe!
Beth Lee
In my biased opinion, it beats store bought by a long shot!
Nancy
could or would you use more rose water if you do not have dried petals?
Beth Lee
I would but in a very small increment – can’t take it away but you can always add. Rose water is wonderful in the right dose but tastes soapy if you over do it. So maybe an extra 1/4 tsp and see how it tastes. Then add more if you need it!
Leigh Olson
We use harissa as a base for our breakfast pizza then add smoked cottage bacon, mozzarella and eggs.
I can’t wait to try it with rose harissa!
Beth Lee
OMG! That sounds so good Leigh!
Sandi
This is a gorgeous recipe. The flavors are beckoning me to give it a try…
Beth Lee
Would be a great flavor accompaniment to your summer grilling and all of your egg dishes!
Rosemary Mark
What an interesting post! My daughter is traveling to Tunisia today (she lives in Ghana). Maybe she can bring me some Rose Harissa, otherwise, I must try your recipe 🙂
Beth Lee
Oh I bet she’ll love the food! Let me know what she finds!
Jenni
I have been waiting and waiting for this recipe! I am so excited it is here! And thanks for such a detailed post. So much info and so easy to follow. Huzzah!
Beth Lee
If anyone will think of an inventive way to use it, you will!