Harissa - Mild A must-have for your Tunisian, Algerian and Moroccan dishes, including Tagine and Couscous recipes. Harissa is a North African hot or mild red sauce or paste made of hot chilies peppers, carrots, turnips, tomatoes, coriander and caraway seeds blended in olive oil. It is mixed to the broth when added to cooked vegetables, as a flavoring for couscous. You can use it to add exotic Mediterranean flavor to any dish, especially couscous, or pasta.