Rose Harissa

Ingredients

• 40 grams dried Kashmiri red chilies or guajillo chilies
• 25 grams dried ancho chilies
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 ½ teaspoons caraway seeds
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon dried rose petals
• 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder, or paprika
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon rosewater, divided
• 4 tablespoons cider vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt-

Procedure

1. Place a large frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is very hot, add the chilies and garlic. Toast until fragrant and charred, about 2 minutes. Pick out the garlic and set aside. Transfer the chilies to a heat-proof bowl.
2. Pour enough boiling water over the chilies to cover them, and then weigh them down with a small plate. Soak for 30 minutes to soften and rehydrate, then strain. Roughly chop the chilies and add them to the bowl of a food processor.
3. Meanwhile, add the cumin, coriander, and caraway seeds to the same pan, and toast over medium-high heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle and roughly crush them before adding them to the food processor along with the chopped chilies, garlic, tomato paste, rose petals, sugar, and chili powder or paprika. Pulse a few times until roughly chopped and combined.
4. Add the lemon juice, half of the rosewater, the cider vinegar, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and a pinch of salt to the food processor. Blitz until you have a coarse paste.
5. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and gently stir in the remaining rosewater and the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
6. Transfer the harissa to a sterilized airtight jar and keep refrigerated if not using right away. Harissa keeps, covered with a layer of oil, in the refrigerator for several weeks.