Yemeni Harissa

👨‍🍳 Method

1. 1
   Soak the dried peppers 30 minutes in hot water, drain and remove the seeds.

   ⚙ SoakingBowl
2. 2
   Grind the peppers in a food processor with the garlic, cumin, cilantro, cardamom, cloves, salt and black pepper.

   ⚙ Grinding in a Food ProcessorFood processor

   💡In a food processor, grind in short pulses and check between pulses: it's easy to go from coarse to paste. (Sesame for tahini, on the other hand, is ground continuously.)
3. 3
   Add the oil and water in a thin stream, while Tahini, until a smooth paste.

   ⚙ Fat in a Thin StreamFood processor

   💡The thin stream is everything: fat that goes in too fast can't bind, and the sauce breaks. For mayonnaise and hollandaise, if this happens, start with a fresh yolk and slowly add the broken sauce to it; if the sauce is too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of water.
4. 4
   Transfer to a jar and cover with a layer of oil about a centimeter deep. Store in the fridge, and for long storage freeze in small jars.

   💡The layer of oil on top seals the harissa from the air, so it doesn't sour or grow mold.