HARISSA

Harissa is a North African condiment that's got one of the most addictive flavour profiles! And, it's just at home on a slice of bread as in a complex stew or sauce. That's what makes it so brilliant! So if you like flavour with a punch, look no further! You can use any combination of dried chile types, and adjust the quantity to suit your taste and spice level. 

I have a general obsession with condiments and dips - a few, even one excellent condiment can elevate the simplest of ingredients to another level. I like having various types of condiments like harissa, pestos, salsas, salad dressings, dipping sauces, nut butters etc. around so I can make a quick meal with pretty much any fresh vegetable or fruit, cooked grains, eggs, leftovers, etc. Like this sandwich I made (photo above) with harissa and some leftover lamb meatballs with spicy tomato sauce I'd made for a dinner party (not-so-great photo below).

Harissa

makes: 1 cup

- 8-9 dried chiles de arbol or cayenne

- 2 chile guajillo

- 3 cloves garlic

- 2 tsp. salt

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

- 1 lemon, juiced 

- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

- 1/3 cup olive oil

- 1 tsp. coriander

- 1 tsp. cumin

- 1 tsp. smoked paprika (optional)

- 1 tbsp. caraway seeds

1. On medium-low heat, dry-roast the chiles in a skillet without burning them (or they'll taste bitter). Transfer to a bowl filled with enough hot water to submerge the chiles, and add the sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside for 10-15 minutes. Drain and remove the chile stalks.
2. In the same skillet, dry-roast the caraway seeds. Let them cool.
3. In a blender jar, add the drained chiles and all other ingredients and blend to a smooth paste.
4. Transfer to a container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

SALSA VERDE WITH CHILES DE ARBOL

Chiles de arbol - fresh and dried - are very similar in appearance to cayenne chiles, which are typically used in Indian cooking, although the flavours of both chiles are somewhat different. Chiles de arbol are a bit woodsy and smokier than cayennes.

As a side note, in Gujarati, dried cayenne chiles are referred to as "vaghaar na marcha" - chiles used for tempering. We also pickle fresh cayenne chiles with mustard or lime, or eat them raw with a meal, sometimes dipped in salt before each bite. If you cannot find chiles de arbol in a store near you, you can use cayenne chiles for this salsa.

This spicy salsa is really easy to make and will no doubt become a regular in your fridge! It's great with chips, on tacos and enchiladas, as a simmer sauce, over baked/grilled meat or fish, with poached eggs, and - as shown above - even as a poaching sauce for eggs (thin it a bit with water first).

You can make it as spicy or mild as you want. To make it spicy, leave the seeds in the chile pods. To make it mild, break the chiles in half and shake out the seeds before roasting. Either way, it's a really delicious sauce!

Salsa Verde with Chiles de Arbol

makes: ~2 cups

- 8 - 10 chiles de arbol
- 5 medium tomatillos, husks removed, and washed well
- 1/2 medium onion (don't chop it)
- 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 1/4 bunch cilantro (15 - 20 stalks)
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 cups water

1. Heat a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Fill a bowl or lidded container with 1 cup of the water.
2. Remove the stems of the chiles and toast on the skillet, stirring frequently to keep them from burning. Once the chiles smell fragrant and are lightly browned, remove from the heat and transfer to the container of water. Cover and let the chiles soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. Put the tomatillos, garlic, and onion (cut side down) in the hot skillet and roast, turning once or twice. Once the tomatillos are charred in spots and soft, the garlic is charred in spots, and the cut side of the onion is somewhat blackened, turn off the heat and leave to cool.
4. Peel the garlic, cut the onion and avocado into 2-3 large pieces, and drain the chiles.
5. Add the chiles, tomatillos, peeled garlic, onion, avocado, cilantro, salt, lime juice, and 1/2 cup water to a blender jar. Blend till you have a thick salsa (if you want a thinner salsa, add the other 1/2 cup water). Taste and adjust salt and lime.
6. Store in the fridge up to 3-4 days.

ENGUACATADAS: LIKE ENCHILADAS, FOR AVOCADOS

The recipe for this sauce is from my friend Oscar's mum. I got a whole new perspective on Mexican food after I met him. In fact, until I met him I had never heard of enguacatadas and enfrijoladas. Oscar and I both love food, drinks, and cooking, and when I lived in Chicago we were always up for trying a new restaurant or bar in town.

Enguacatadas - like enchiladas - are typically filled with cheese or chicken. But I create my own vegetarian fillings and they're still amazing thanks to the incredible flavour of the sauce itself. Go easy on the spice in the filling because you really want the sauce to overarch the flavour of the dish rather than the filling or the cheese on top. Serve sliced jalapeños on the side for added spice at the table.

Enguacatadas - unlike enchiladas - are not ubiquitous. You won't see them on a restaurant menu or on a website or online cookbook, I'm not sure why. But make this recipe and enjoy the velvety avocado sauce!

Enguacatadas: "Enchiladas" in an Avocado Sauce
Makes: 12 enguacatadas

Sauce:

- 3 ripe avocados, peeled and cut into chunks

- 3 jalapeños
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. salt (use really good quality salt, as always)
- 1 tsp. avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1-2 limes, juiced
- 3 tomatillos, roasted (optional)

Filling:
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 medium zucchini, diced

- 1 cup peas, cooked (defrosted if using frozen cooked peas)

- 8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced (or any other kind of mushroom)

- 1 tsp. Mexican oregano (Italian or Greek will do in a pinch)
- 1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

- 1 tsp. cumin powder

- 1 tsp. salt

- 2 tbsp. avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 1 lime, juiced

Tortillas:
- 12 small corn tortillas (aka tortillas para enchiladas in some stores)

Topping (optional):
- 2 tbsp. black sesame seeds or

- 3/4 cup queso fresco, queso cotija, mild goat cheese, or shredded paneer (it's close to queso fresco)

1. Sauce: Roast the 3 jalapeños over a direct flame or in a pan without adding oil, until the skin is mostly black. Immediately put the hot jalapeños in a container and cover. Set aside for 10 minutes or so. After 10 minutes, remove the stem and peel the peppers - the skin should come right off. Give the roasted peppers a quick rinse to get rid of any loose skin. While rinsing, split them open and wash off the seeds. 
2. Blend the roasted jalapeños, avocados, garlic, salt, lime, tomatillos if using, and just enough water to make a sauce in which you can dip a tortilla. The sauce should be thin enough to dip a tortilla in, but thick enough to coat the tortilla well without running off.
3. Put the sauce in a pan with the oil and heat to a simmer - do not boil. Transfer the sauce into a shallow tray large enough to dip a tortilla in, and set aside while you make the filling.
4. Filling: In a pan, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, sauté till translucent and soft but not browned. Add the mushrooms and sauté till the mushrooms are soft. Add the zucchini and cook till just soft, not mushy. Add the cumin, oregano, salt, and peas and cook until the vegetables are heated through. Turn off the heat, stir in the lime juice and cilantro, and set the filling aside.
5. Tortillas: Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and very quickly heat a tortilla on both sides to make it soft and pliable so it doesn't break. Dip the hot tortilla very quickly in the avocado sauce. Put the dipped tortilla on a plate and put 1-2 tbsp. of the filling in the centre. Wrap the sides of the tortilla around the filling like in an enchilada. Put the filled tortilla (enguacatada by now) seam side down on a plate and sprinkle a pinch of sesame seeds or a scant 1 tbsp. cheese over it.
6. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and serve with extra sauce. Enguacatadas!

ROASTED TOMATILLO AND AVOCADO SALSA/SAUCE

Variety Mexican food is the spice of life.

It, among a few other cuisines, is comfort food to me. Or hangover food. Or hunger food, or party food, or anytime food. I especially love the thousands of different moles and salsas (sauces). Made with fruits, vegetables, chiles, tomatoes, tomatilloes, jitomates, guajes, seeds, nuts, legumes - the list of combinations is endless! You can pretty much blend anything in a Mexican kitchen and it's a mole or a salsa. Or sometimes a beverage.

Too much fun in the kitchen with all the colours and flavours, but here's an easy one to spice things up. Use this as a salsa, sauce for entomatadas (like enchiladas but in a tomato-based sauce rather than a chile-based sauce), as a salad dressing, over roasted vegetables, tamales, eggs, fish, or chicken, mixed into rice as a side dish, or however else you want! Because you won't be able to stop eating it!

Roasted Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa/Sauce

Servings: makes 3 cups

- 10 medium/12 small tomatillos, papery husk and stem removed, rinsed
- 2 medium/3 small shallots, unpeeled and separated (or 1 small white onion, halved)

- 4 medium/6-8 small cloves garlic, skin on
- 1 serrano pepper

- 1 ripe Reed avocado or 2 Hass avocados
- 1 lime, juiced (or more if you want it really tart)
- 1/2 bunch or more cilantro- 1 tsp sea salt (I use Himalayan salt for everything)

- 1 cast-iron or other heavy skillet - mine's small so I roasted the vegetables in 2 batches

- 1 bowl large enough to fit the roasted vegetables

- 1 lid for the bowl - doesn't have to be air-tight, a plate will do

- blender/food processor

1. In the skillet over medium heat, dry-roast (without using any oil), the tomatillos, garlic, serrano and shallots. If you're using the white onion, place each half cut-side down on the skillet.

2. Roast the vegetables on one side for 5-7 minutes, then turn and roast on the other side for 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables have dark char spots.

3. Don't burn the vegetables! They should look like they do in the photo above.

4. If you burn the vegetables, go have a margarita and some salty chips and salsa somewhere nice. Start over with the salsa later.

5. Put the hot dry-roasted vegetables in the bowl and cover with the lid. Let it all sit for 10 minutes or longer, till cool enough to handle.

6. Peel the garlic and shallots/onion.

7. Cut the stem off the serrano pepper and de-seed if you want a mild salsa. I usually halve the pepper lengthwise, and de-seed one half, leave the seeds in the other half because I like a bit of smoky heat.

8. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh.

9. Blend everything including the roasted vegetables, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.

10. Blend till the salsa is smooth, not chunky.

11. Adjust to taste... as more lime juice or salt.

12. If you want it spicier, blend in another roasted serrano or half of a raw serrano. Definitely not cayenne or any other dried powdered chile.

Notes:

1. Lemon instead of lime will do in a pinch but lime will give it the fresh tartness rather than the touch of sweetness that lemon imparts to foods.

2. It'll still be delicious so go ahead and use that lemon because you're out of limes.