Fiery red, full of flavor, and easier than you’d think to make at home. 

Hailing from the North African country of Tunisia, harissa manages to strike the perfect balance between hot, smoky, and sweet like few other sauces can. And if you’re thinking — isn’t that a spice, too? — you’re right. Many HelloFresh recipes come with harissa powder to dress up everything from lamb meatballs to veggie sweet potato pita pockets.

In its traditional form, harissa sauce is served alongside fluffy couscous, but the opportunities are vast. So roll up your sleeves and experiment with all the ways to incorporate this versatile condiment into your kitchen for a kick of heat and #HelloFreshPics-worthy hue.

• Mixing into ground beef burger patties
• Stirring into ketchup
• Using as a marinade for veggies pre-roasting
• Swirling into homemade hummus
• Whisking into yogurt for a creamy dip
• Spreading onto your breakfast sandwich

And if there’s anything better than the world of potential, it’s the fact that whipping up this harissa recipe is easy as can be.

Ingredients:

• 8 Ounces Fresh Chiles* (about 6)
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1 Teaspoon Caraway Seeds
• 1 Teaspoon Coriander Seeds
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 Red Onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 Cloves Garlic, peeled
• 1 Teaspoon Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 Teaspoon Salt

Instructions:

1. Turn broiler on high and place peppers under heat source until blackened on the outside and easy to pierce with a fork, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from broiler and transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to let cool, then peel and remove seeds.
2. Meanwhile, toast cumin, caraway, and coriander seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Remove from pan and transfer to a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Grind until the spices reach a powdery consistency.
4. Heat olive oil in the same fry pan over medium heat, then add onion, garlic, and chiles. Sauté until slightly caramelized and darker in color, 10-12 minutes.
5. Add spices, chile mixture, tomato paste, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor and purée until smooth. If too thick, add more oil.

*For medium heat, use Guajillo chiles, and to kick the heat up a notch go for Arbol or Puya. For the spice-averse, sub chiles for roasted red bell peppers.

Time-saving tip: Instead of toasting and grinding the spices, feel free to use ground spices instead (1 teaspoon seeds = 1 1/4 teaspoons ground) to skip steps 2-3.

North Africa: check! Now the only question is — where are you going to take your taste buds next? Not to worry, we’ve got tons of international flavor inspiration to fuel your culinary adventures:

• 5 Easy Korean Recipes You’ll Love
• 5 Easy Mexican Recipes Kids Will Love
• Grilled Greek Flatbread Pizza Recipe
• 5 French Mother Sauces to Elevate Your Cooking Game
• The Essentials of Middle Eastern Cuisine