Why it works: Garlic and olive are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 25,665 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓
Harisa
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the peppers
Soak the chili peppers in tepid water until softened, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and remove stems and seeds.
Make the paste
Place the peppers, garlic, water, and olive oil in a blender or food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides occasionally.
Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the caraway, coriander, and salt.
Store
Store in a jar and top off, covering the surface of the paste with a layer of olive oil.
Whenever the paste is used, top off with olive oil to keep it from being exposed to air, preventing spoilage.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 10 ingredients. The other 5 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Caraway | not in our table | 0 |
| Seed | not in our table | 0 |
| Coriander | not in our table | 0 |
| Topping | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Garlic + olivetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,665 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Garlic + coriandertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,474 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Caraway + coriandertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together185 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-decenal (green, must).
-
Pepper + coriandertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,949 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Guajillo chili peppers
- Provide the main body of flavor and color as the paste's base.
- Anaheim chili peppers
- Add mild chili flavor and bulk to the paste.
- Garlic cloves
- Contribute pungent aroma and sharpness to the paste.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Adds fat and smoothness, helping the paste blend and coat the surface for storage.
The step that matters
Topping off with olive oil. Oil layered over the paste keeps air away from its surface, slowing spoilage and oxidation. If the surface is left exposed, the paste can spoil more quickly, so the layer should be kept intact each time the paste is used.
Swap the caraway
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, garlic, clove, olive, coriander):
- Cuminfits better
- Thymefits better
- Cardamomfits better
- Carawaythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, garlic, clove, olive, coriander. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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