Tomato relish
🍅 A thick tomato, onion and chili sauce for kapana, pap or oshifima.
Ingredients
- 🍅 600 g ripe tomatoes, chopped, or one 400 g can plus 2 fresh tomatoes
- 🧅 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 🧄 2 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
- 🌶️ 1 small fresh red chili, seeded and finely chopped, optional
- 🫑 1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced, optional
- 🫗 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 🍋 1 tablespoon lemon juice or mild vinegar
- 🧂 1/2 teaspoon salt, adjust at the end
- 🧂 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika and 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 🌿 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander or parsley
- 💧 60 to 120 ml hot water, only if the sauce reduces too quickly
Preparation
Wash fresh tomatoes, remove firm cores and dice them. Chop the onions and garlic separately; seed the chili for a milder sauce.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Cook the onions over medium-low heat for 7 to 9 minutes, stirring, until soft and lightly golden.
Add garlic, paprika and cumin. Stir for 30 seconds, then add chili and bell pepper if using. Cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes and salt. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat. Do not add all the water at once; tomatoes release their own juice.
Simmer uncovered for 18 to 22 minutes. Stir every few minutes and crush some tomatoes with a spoon while leaving visible pieces.
If the base catches before the tomatoes soften, add hot water by the spoonful. If the sauce is thin, keep reducing uncovered over gentle heat.
Taste after reducing. Add lemon or vinegar to balance sweetness, adjust salt and stir in coriander or parsley off the heat.
Rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot with kapana or pap, offering extra chili separately; the sauce should coat without running.