This fiery Tunisian chili sauce, also found in Algeria and Morocco,
is used in cooking, particularly in the vegetable or meat tagines
(stews) that accompany couscous, and as a table condiment, rather
like Indonesian sambals.
The sauce can be bought ready-made in small cans, but it is easy to
make at home and keeps for up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator.
Remove the seeds and tear the chilies into pieces. Soak them in warm
water until they soften (about 20 minutes). Drain, and pound or
process. Crush the garlic with a little salt. Pound or blend all the
ingredients to a paste, then stir in 15 to 30 ml (1 to 2 tb) of olive
oil. Transfer to a jar, cover with a layer of olive oil, and
refrigerate.
Recipe FROM: The Complete Book of Spices by Jill Norman,
Viking Studio Books, 1991, ISBN 0-670-83437-8
The book is lavishly illustrated with full color photographs of the
herbs and spices- whole, mixed, ground.
