Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce

This sauce is quick and easy and it requires no cooking. All it needs is some smoking hot oil to preserve it.

Use the sauce as you would most tomato sauces – toss it with hot pasta, stews, curries, mix it into scrambled eggs, cook it with onions and rice to make tomato rice, add it to dhals or sautéed vegetables.

Be sure to use fresh ingredients. Tomatoes are coming into season so grab some to make this fresh sauce.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

• Mortar and pestle or a food processor

• Metal ladle or small frying pan

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed

• Salt to taste (coarse sea salt would be great)

• Minced hot pepper to taste

• 1 pound fresh, ripe tomatoes

• 1 heaped cup fresh basil leaves (use fresh coriander for a different flavour of sauce)

• 3 tablespoons neutral tasting oil

DIRECTIONS

Mortar & Pestle:

1. Add the garlic and salt and grind to a paste and the pepper and combine with the garlic and salt.

2. Add the tomatoes and mash/squish until the mixture becomes pulpy.

3. Toss in the basil leaves into the mixture and bruise gently to release the flavour and mix in. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.

4. Heat oil in ladle or frying pan until smoking hot. Pour the hot oil over the sauce and stir to mix in well.

5. Use sauce immediately or let cool and store in a sterilized jar in the refrigerator. The sauce will keep well for a full week.

Food Processor

1. Finely mince the garlic and add it to the bowl of the food processor along with the pepper and tomatoes. Pulse until pulpy or smooth depending on your preference. Season with salt and pulse to incorporate.

2. Add basil and pulse to 2 – 3 times just to tear the leaves and mix in.

3. Pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl.

4. Heat oil in ladle or frying pan until smoking hot. Pour the hot oil over the sauce and stir to mix in well.