Five-minute harissa yogurt
Smoky, cooling and quick. The yogurt does the calming, the harissa does the talking.
At a Glance
Story
Harissa is the great chili paste of Tunisia, close to a national condiment, and it is more than heat, the roasted red chilies come layered with garlic and the warm spices caraway, coriander and cumin. That is why a spoonful reads as smoky and rounded rather than simply hot. Full-fat yogurt is the right foil because capsaicin is soothed by fat, not by water, so the richer the yogurt the softer the landing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp harissaplus more to taste, brands vary in heat
- 1 clove garlicgrated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- salt
Method
The fastest way to make grilled anything look composed. One bowl, one spoon, five minutes, and you decide how loud it gets.
- Spoon the yogurt into a bowl and grate in the garlic. Add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
- Add the harissa and stir it through, or only half-stir it so it stays marbled, which looks the part when you set it out. Taste and add more harissa for more heat.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the top. Serve as a dip with warm bread or raw vegetables, or spoon it under or over grilled chicken, lamb, shrimp or roast carrots. It keeps two or three days, though the garlic gets bolder, so make it mild if you are making it ahead.
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