Rose Harissa
So somewhere along the line between Ottolenghi recipes, random supermarket wandering, and internet food rabbit holes, I discovered rose harissa.
And honestly my first reaction was: really? Rose? In harissa? Because rose is such a delicate flavour. Meanwhile harissa is basically chilli, garlic, smoke, acid, spice, and aggression. I genuinely could not understand how rose was supposed to survive that situation.
But obviously I had to try it. I think it was either the Ottolenghi cookbook or the website where I first saw it properly. And if you've ever cooked from Ottolenghi recipes, you know he has this magical ability to convince you that you absolutely need an ingredient you had never previously considered necessary for survival.
And honestly? I'm still undecided about it. Like. It's good. It's interesting. But I'm not fully convinced I understand the appeal emotionally. The rose softens the harissa slightly and gives it this strange floral warmth underneath all the smoke and spice. It becomes rounder somehow. Less sharp. But I kept sitting there wondering: Could I actually taste the rose? Or was I simply aware that rose had technically been invited to the party?
Still, it's fun to make. And honestly if you like Ottolenghi-style flavours, this is very much in that universe.
The thing I found worked best was actually adding a little bit of good-quality gulkand, which is basically rose jam. It gives a deeper rose flavour than rose water alone and blends into the chilli paste surprisingly well. You just need to balance it carefully.
Also, fresh rose petals or food-grade dried rose petals matter here. Not mystery potpourri roses from somewhere questionable. Please do not accidentally make scented drawer harissa.
Ingredients
- 4 dried chillies, rehydrated
- 4 tsp olive oil, divided
- 2 bird's eye chillies, chopped and seeded
- 1½ tsp coriander seeds
- ¾ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp dried rose petals
- 1 tsp rose water
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp shallot, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Pinch sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Optional: 1 tsp gulkand (rose jam)
Method
- Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the coriander, cumin, and caraway seeds and fry briefly until fragrant.
- Remove from heat and grind the spices together with the rose petals. Mix in the smoked paprika.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the same pan. Add the shallots, garlic, and rehydrated chillies. Sauté until softened and lightly golden.
- Transfer everything into a blender or food processor along with the spice mixture, tomato paste, lemon juice, rose water, sugar, and salt.
- Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust: more rose water if needed, more salt if flat, more lemon if it needs brightness.
- Store in a glass jar with a thin layer of olive oil on top.
Rose water can become overpowering very quickly. Start cautiously.
Gulkand adds both sweetness and floral depth.
The floral flavour becomes slightly stronger after resting in the fridge overnight.
This works best as a background floral note rather than a heavily perfumed chilli paste situation.
I would probably use dried Guntur chillies and Thai bird's eye chillies here because that's what I actually keep at home.
If you can find good gulkand, adding a tiny spoonful works surprisingly well because it gives the rose flavour more depth than rose water and dried roses alone. Just remember to balance the sweetness afterwards — maybe slightly less sugar, maybe slightly more chilli.
Rose harissa works because the floral notes soften the sharper edges of traditional harissa without completely removing the heat and smokiness.
The chillies bring spice and depth, while cumin, coriander, and caraway create warmth underneath. Tomato paste gives body and richness, while lemon juice brightens everything.
The rose petals and rose water sit quietly in the background rather than shouting "ROSE" directly at you. And honestly, that's probably for the best.
Spread on toast with labneh, mixed into yogurt, rubbed onto grilled chicken, stirred into roasted vegetables, with eggs, with feta, in grain bowls.
Honestly though, regular harissa still wins for me most days.
I might try adding slightly more rose petals and less rose water next time for a softer floral flavour. Or maybe experiment with pomegranate molasses somewhere in the mix because that feels like it belongs in this flavour universe.
Though honestly, part of me still remains deeply amused that rose harissa exists at all.
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