Filfel Chuma substitute

Substitutes for Filfel Chuma with ratios

1. 2Harissa plus fresh garlic and caraway

   Different taste

   Use 1 tbsp harissa + 1 large crushed garlic clove + ¼ tsp ground caraway for every 1 tbsp filfel chuma

   The closest jarred starting point, corrected for the two things harissa is short on.

   What changes

   Best for

   fish stews, shakshuka-style dishes, marinades, dressings

   Harissa on its own tastes of chilli and coriander seed and reads far less pungent, so the dish loses the sharp allium hit that defines filfel chuma. Crushed raw garlic puts it back. If you are cooking rather than spreading, fry the garlic in the oil for 30 seconds before stirring in the harissa so it does not taste harsh.

2. 3Chilli garlic paste plus paprika and cumin

   Different taste

   Use the same amount plus ½ tsp sweet paprika and ¼ tsp ground cumin per tbsp

   Asian-style chilli garlic paste already has the garlic; the added spices push it towards North Africa.

   What changes

   Best for

   quick weeknight versions of hraimi, noodles and rice, eggs, roast vegetables

   The garlic level is right, which is most of the battle. What changes is that these pastes are made with vinegar, so the result is sharper and tangier, and they have none of the earthy caraway warmth. The paprika restores the sweetness and the deep brick-red colour that filfel chuma gives a tomato sauce. Cut back the lemon in the recipe to compensate for the extra acidity.

3. 4Sambal oelek plus garlic and caraway

   Different taste

   Use 1 tbsp sambal + 1 crushed garlic clove + ¼ tsp ground caraway + ½ tsp sweet paprika for every 1 tbsp of filfel chuma

   Coarse Indonesian chilli paste built up towards the Libyan profile.

   What changes

   Best for

   stews, grilled fish, marinades

   Sambal is hotter and more acidic than filfel chuma and has a fresher, greener chilli flavour rather than the toasted dried-chilli sweetness of paprika-based pastes. With garlic, caraway and paprika added it gets respectably close for a cooked dish. It stays noticeably more sour on bread, where you have nowhere to hide.

4. 5Sriracha plus garlic powder and paprika

   Taste and texture differ

   Use 1 ½ tbsp sriracha + ½ tsp garlic powder + ½ tsp sweet paprika for every 1 tbsp filfel chuma

   An emergency option when there is nothing else in the fridge.

   What changes

   Best for

   quick pan sauces, sandwiches

   Be realistic about this one. Sriracha is thin, sweet and vinegary, so it glosses a piece of fish rather than coating it, and the finished dish tastes sweet-and-sour where it should taste garlicky and earthy. Use more of it by volume because it is much weaker, reduce or remove any sugar in the recipe, and expect a dish in the right general direction rather than the right place.

5. 6Gochujang plus lots of garlic

   Different taste

   Use 1 tbsp gochujang + 2 crushed garlic cloves for every 1 tbsp filfel chuma, in cooked dishes only

   Fermented Korean chilli paste with enough garlic added to shift its character.

   What changes

   Best for

   long-cooked stews, braises, meat marinades

   Gochujang brings a savoury depth that filfel chuma does not actually have, so this is a swap that changes the dish rather than replicating it. It is also distinctly sweet from the rice in it, which means a tomato-based fish stew comes out rounder and jammier. Cut any sugar in the recipe and use it only where it will cook for a while, never raw on bread.