Rifat's Hot Tomato Sauce

This is another recipe from my friend Rifat. It freezes well so this recipe will make a lot to defrost when it’s needed. If you have to dismantle the blender to wash it afterwards, you might as well just do it once.

3 tins whole tomatoes

3-4 onions – approx. 1 ½ per tin of tomatoes, depending on their size

8 Scotch bonnet chillies (Habaneros)

1tsp coriander powder

Salt to taste – probably a heaped teaspoon

2/3 tsp turmeric

Sunflower oil – about 2/3 of a cup

Blend the tomatoes with the chillies and set aside. If you’re going to blend them, why use whole tomatoes and not chopped? Well whole tomatoes are canned slightly under ripe and I think that tartness is a virtue in a tomato. I would always recommend Cirio brand – in this case because they are so much less watery than other brands, but just cook for longer to thicken up a cheaper brand.

Blend the onions – Rifat insists that it is tomatoes first and then onions. I couldn’t quite fathom the logic and even she admits this is probably being pedantic. You may need to add a little water to ease it along and get it all out of the blender at the end.

Warm a pan up (Rifat uses a wok because of its size), and add the onions to let the water evaporate off. Stir in the salt and then add the oil. Cook on a very low heat, stirring often until the onions are completely cooked through.  This can take over an hour but Rifat says it always tastes best with patience. You can tell they are cooked when the onions separate from the oil and are golden brown.

Add the tomato/chilli mix and turn up the heat. Stir it well to mix and ad the turmeric and coriander. Taste to see if it needs more salt. If your tomatoes aren’t great quality a tsp of sugar might tip it back into balance. Rifat often adds a few whole Scotch Bonnets, and leaves them whole when freezing this but I’m not going to.

Reduce the heat and let it simmer for another hour until it is the thickness you like. Again stir from time to time, and again you can tell it is ready when the oil separates and sits on top. You can spoon some of this off if there is too much for your taste.

You will have a ton of this so let what you’re not using cool and freeze for when you need it

This is a handy base for all sorts of things though Rifat’s family favourite is with grilled chicken and rice, with some coleslaw on the side.

With this amount of chilli, this is not one for the boy. I will have it when he’s at the pub watching the football.