This is something of a discovery for me. This sauce has such a vibrant red colour, the texture is velvety and thick and yet its totally fat free and consequently low calorie. I used it here with chicken - I simply added chunks of chicken breast to the sauce and simmered gently until the chicken was cooked. But I reckon you could use this sauce in lots of different ways, with meat or eggs too. The quantity make enough for 1 to 2 people, depending on how you are using the sauce.
The dried chillies I used:
Ingredients (serves 1 to 2 )
1 x very large red bell pepper
2 x dried red chillies such as Serrano or Aji Amarillo
½ a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 x head of garlic
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garam masala
A pinch of sugar (optional)
Salt to taste.
Method
The dried chillies I used:
Ingredients (serves 1 to 2 )
1 x very large red bell pepper
2 x dried red chillies such as Serrano or Aji Amarillo
½ a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 x head of garlic
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp garam masala
A pinch of sugar (optional)
Salt to taste.
Method
- Heat oven to 180 C. Wrap the head of garlic in foil and bake for 30 mins or until the cloves are completely soft. When cooked squeeze the softened garlic into a small bowl and set aside.
- Slice the bell pepper into thick strips, removing white pith and seeds. Place under a hot grill (broiler) skin side up and cook until the skin is charred and flesh softened. This will take approximately 25 mins.
- Place the charred pepper strips in a plastic bag or covered container and leave to cool for at least 10 minutes. When cooled, peel off the skin. Don't worry if you leave on some charred bits of skin - it adds to the flavour. They will produce some natural oil which adds to the flavour and texture of the sauce so make sure you conserve this.
- Place the dried chillies in a bowl and add just enough boiling water to cover them. If you wish, you can add to the smoky flavour by dry frying the chillies for a few seconds in a hot pan before soaking them. Leave the chillies to soak for at least 20 minutes.
- Remove the dried chillies from their soaking water, de-seed them and chop into small pieces. Reserve the soaking water.
- Blend together half the garlic (reserve the rest for another dish), tomatoes, dried chillies, grilled bell pepper and the spices, adding the chilli soaking water until you achieve a thick sauce (I used a stick blender in a jug).
- To use, heat the sauce adding sugar and salt to taste. If you wish, you can pass the sauce through a sieve for a smoother texture.
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