What Could I Use Instead Of Harissa For The Carrots And Fennel?

Our answer

Nigella's Carrots And Fennel With Harissa from (AT MY TABLE) tosses carrot sticks and fennel wedges with oil and harissa before roasting them. Harissa is a North African (Maghreb) chilli paste that contains a combination of dried chillies, garlic, olive oil and spices. Some also contain other ingredients such as red (bell/sweet) peppers and rose petals.

Harissa is usually quite spicy and can be added as an ingredient to dishes or mixed with extra oil and used as a condiment. In Nigella's recipes it adds some fragrant heat to the dish. In the UK you can buy harissa in larger supermarkets (it may be sold in a jar or in a tube), some delis and online. In other countries it may be easiest to find it online. If you can't find harissa then you could use another chilli paste, though it is difficult to suggest quantities as heat levels vary. Alternatively, you could add 2 tablespoons extra of olive oil and sprinkle over some dried chilli flakes (crushed red pepper flakes), adjusting the amount to your own taste. If you have them, Aleppo pepper flakes would be particularly good.