Basic tomato sauce
Recipe adapted from Make five/Maak vyf
Makes 750 ml
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
15 ml grated fresh ginger
2,5 ml fennel seeds (optional)
2 carrots, coarsely grated
1 kg ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
30 ml dried mixed herbs or origanum
75 ml chopped fresh herbs of your choice
1 bay leaf
15 ml balsamic vinegar
10 ml soft brown sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Heat an AMC 20 cm Gourmet High over medium heat until the Visiotherm® reaches the first red area. Add onions and garlic sautéing until soft. Add ginger, fennel seeds and carrots and sauté for a few more minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, dried and fresh herbs, bay leaf, vinegar and sugar.
- Simmer without a lid over medium heat for 20 – 30 minutes until flavourful and thickened slightly.
- Season to taste and blend with a hand blender. At this stage, the sauce can be cooled and frozen to be used as needed.
Tips & variations
- Parmigiana, an Italian side dish made with this kind of tomato sauce and brinjal, is divine. Sauté sliced brinjals in a thin layer of oil. Pack brinjal slices in layers with the sauce and sprinkle 125 ml (½ cup) grated mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 200°C for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked. Serve with fresh basil leaves.
- For a quick vegetarian meal, stir a tin of chickpeas and cooked butternut into the tomato sauce.
- If the tomatoes aren’t red enough, stir 15-30 ml tomato paste into the sauce for a deeper red colour.
- A homemade tomato sauce can be used as a sauce or as a base for any tomato-based dish. The sauce can also be blended and served with eggs, pap and braaied meat or any of the other ideas mentioned.
- Use the tomato sauce as a cooking liquid for portions of fish, chicken, meat or even meatballs. It is a healthier way to cook, as the sauce is homemade and you know what goes into it.
- The sauce can be seasoned in many different ways. Try adding curry powder for a spicier version; more Italian flavours with basil pesto or give it a Moroccan flair with cumin.
