Cooking Edition: The Harissa Hot Sauce Experiment

First time making harissa from my own garden peppers. I got hooked on the sauce at Casablanca, a Moroccan restaurant in Ypsilanti, then tried a basic Maghreb-style paste at home with fire-roasted Anaheim peppers, a red California Wonder, Music hardneck garlic, and coriander seed saved from my hydroponic cilantro. Quick heritage note from what I researched before filming: harissa is rooted in Tunisia and used across the Maghreb, so Moroccan restaurant versions (and my batch) are adaptations, not a claim that Morocco invented it. In this video I walk through a first-batch kitchen experiment: Why I skipped Buena Mulata heat and used Anaheim plus sweet bell for body Fire-roasting instead of traditional sun-dried peppers (including an over-charred Anaheim save) Toasting and grinding coriander from my own cilantro seed Seasoning with caraway, cumin, lemon juice, salt, and pepper Blending with olive oil to a chunky paste and tasting against the restaurant memory This is my observed first attempt, not a heritage recipe authority. Treat garlic-chili paste under oil like other homemade vegetable-in-oil mixes: keep it refrigerated and use it soon, or freeze portions. Restaurant that started the craving: Casablanca (Ypsilanti, MI): https://www.casablancami.com/ 📋 Recipe: Fire-Roasted Garden Harissa (this video's batch) Yield: about 1 small jar / blender-cup batch (condiment) Ingredients 2 red-ripe Anaheim peppers 1 red California Wonder bell pepper (or similar sweet red bell) 1 large garlic clove (Music hardneck; roughly the size of 2 normal cloves), or 2 regular cloves About 1 tsp whole coriander seeds (toast, then grind; aim for about 1/2 tsp ground) 1/2 tsp ground caraway 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 Tbsp lemon juice (about 3 tsp) Olive oil, as needed to blend (plus a little to top the jar if storing) Salt and black pepper, to taste Method 1. Stem the Anaheims, halve them, and keep the seeds if you want more heat. Halve the bell pepper; remove the stem and seeds. 2. Fire-roast / grill cut-side down over medium-hot heat. Flip as needed. Aim for soft, wrinkled peppers with some char, not fully black. Trim off any bitterly burned bits. 3. Toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan until fragrant / lightly smoking, then grind (mortar and pestle works well). 4. Add roasted peppers and garlic to a blender. Add caraway, cumin, ground coriander, and lemon juice. 5. Pulse for a chunky paste (don't pulverize). Stream in olive oil until it blends smoothly but stays thick. 6. Season with salt and a little black pepper. Taste and adjust. 7. Jar, refrigerate, and use soon, or freeze portions. Do not leave garlic-chili paste in oil at room temperature. Notes from this run I skipped Buena Mulata on purpose (too hot for a first mild batch). I left most of the pepper skins on for texture... but probably good to remove for keeping teeth cleaner. Traditional sun-dried peppers are common; this batch uses fire-roast for smoky flavor instead. 🌱 Related Videos ▶ 3 Months Later: Beginner Hydroponic Herb Garden Update (ft. Monster Cilantro):    • 3 Months Later: Beginner Hydroponic Herb G...   ▶ 2026 End of July Update | Dry July After a Soaked June:    • 2026 End of July Update | Dry July After a...   ▶ My 2026 Pepper Experiments:    • My 2026 Pepper Experiments   📚 References 🎓 UNESCO ICH - Harissa, knowledge, skills and culinary and social practices (Tunisia): https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/harissa-... 🎓 Herbs and vegetables in oil (Oregon State Extension SP 50-701): https://extension.oregonstate.edu/cat... 🛒 Products ChefSofi mortar and pestle set (recommended option; not the one in this video): https://amzn.to/4qEUxj1 Ninja Kitchen System TB401 (current model; updated version of the Ninja system I use): https://amzn.to/4wMWZp6 Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support the channel at no extra cost to you. 🙏 How do you make harissa at home, and what would you change in this first batch? 👍 If you enjoy learning alongside me, hit Subscribe and check out my other gardening videos. Every season is a new lesson! Let's keep gardening and vibing together! 0:00 - Intro 0:13 - Background and Context 2:57 - Ingredients 4:35 - Prep the Peppers 5:24 - Fire-Roast the Peppers 7:30 - Roast and Grind Coriander 8:29 - Finishing the Peppers 9:14 - Adding Seasonings 11:15 - Blending the Paste 12:09 - The Olive Oil Fix 13:18 - Salt, Pepper, and Taste Test #Harissa #HomemadeHotSauce #AnaheimPeppers #Gardening #Cooking #VibeGardening