Tomato Sauce Recipe for making Curries in a hurry

This is a must food-prep at most of the Indian Restaurants in United States. There are only limited number of spices

Sugar is added to offset any acidic taste. The salt and lemon juice are added as preservatives. The Tomato sauce may be frozen in zip-lock bags or stored in the refrigerator. The only preservative are the natural acid in the tomatoes, lemon juice, and salt.

Ingredients

1. Onions: 3 Pounds
2. Garlic: 12 Cloves
3. Tomatoes: 5 Pounds
4. Salt: 1 ½ teaspoon
5. Sugar: 1 ½ teaspoon

6. Bay leafs: 2

7. Canola oil: ½ Cup

8. Water: 1 Cup

9. Degi Mirch (Paprika): 1 Tablespoon

Method

Step 1: Prep

Onions: Peel and chop. Blend in electric blender or a food processor with minimum water.

Garlic: Peel and mince

Tomatoes: Choose Ripe tomatoes. Wash. Remove stem. Cut in half. Remove the white membrane. Blend in electric blender or food processor without any water.

Step 2 Onions and Garlic

1. Put oil in a heavy bottom pan. Heat the oil. Add blended onions. Sauté till almost all the moisture is gone.

2. Add salt and minced garlic. Continue to sauté, till the onions or clear and start to turn brown. The oil should be visibly separated

Step 3 Tomatoes

1. Add blended tomatoes, sugar, and Bay leafs. Bring to a boil. Turn down heat.

2. Stir in Degi Mirch

3. Cook about 25 minutes stirring occasionally till most of the water is gone and you have a smooth shiny paste.

4. Add water, Simmer another 5 minutes. Use your judgment about the water. You need thick sauce

Step 4 Storage

Let the sauce cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator. You may freeze in Zip lock Freezer bags and store. You can use the frozen item for about six months.

FAQs

Why do you add salt and lemon juice?

Salt and lemon juice are not added for taste. These items are added as preservatives.

Why do you add sugar?

Sugar is added to offset the acidic taste that may be present in under-ripe tomatoes as well as with the introduction of lemon juice.

Why do you add Degi Mirch (Paprika)?

I don't use artificial food colors. I use Degi Mirch for color and flavor. If you wish, you may omit Degi Mirch. It will not change your curry flavor.

Why cant I just use off-the-shelf spaghetti sauce?

Italian sauces do not have enough onions. They may also include oregano and basil which may interfere with flavors. To get acceptable taste, you will wind up adding ground sautéed onions. On the other hand, you may want to use Hurry Curry Tomato sauce on your spaghetti.

Why don't you add curry spices?

Adding curry spices to the Hurry Curry Tomato Sauce in making, or directly to the curry does not save any time. On the other hand it limits our options on how we use the Hurry Curry Tomato sauce.