Tomato Ketchup

While growing up, I have fond memories of my mother buying several kgs of tomatoes in peak season. She would make ketchup in few batches and couple of days later, freeze would be stocked up with ketchup jars. I hardly remember having store bought ketchup.

My daughter has taken up after me and she wants to have ketchup whenever I open the refrigerator. I am always hesitant after certain point as store bought ones are always full of preservatives. Though I always had homemade ketchup during my childhood/teenage days, ironically, it never occurred to me to do the same for my daughter until my mom suggested.

I tried with just couple of tomatoes first. It came out good so I tried in large quantity with farm fresh tomatoes. Result?Happy mother and happy daughter!

Yields: 3-4 cup

Preparation Time: 10 Minute

Cooking Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

2 lb ripe tomatoes

2 tsp lemon juice

Salt

Sugar

For Spice Bag,

2 dried red chili

2-3 cloves of garlic

4 pc cloves

Procedure

1. Put all the spices in muslin cloth and fasten it thoroughly

2. Cut tomatoes into large cubes

3. Add salt, lemon juice and spice bag to tomatoes and pressure cook them for 3 whistles

4. once cool down completely, remove spice bag

5. Grind tomatoes into fine puree and strain it

6. Heat the puree in a thick bottom pan. Taste it and adjust salt/sugar quantity

7. Cook it on medium flame stirring constantly

8. To check if it is cooked, pour a drop in a plate. If it doesn't leave water at edges, you are all set and turn off the heat

9. It stays good for at least couple of months in refrigerator

Basil Walnut Pesto

Freshness of Basil, crunch of walnut and goodness of freshly shredded parmesan cheese are heavenly combined in this simple pesto. Use it with bread, sandwich, pizza, crostini or even crackers.

Yields 1 cup

Preparation Time: 10 Minute

Cooking Time: NIL

Ingredients

3 cup loosely packed basil leaves

1 cup walnut

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup olive oil, approx.

Salt and pepper

Procedure

1. Add basil, walnut, garlic and cheese in blender

2. Gradually add olive oil and make a coarse paste

3. Add salt and pepper

4. Put it in a jar and layer it with olive oil to avoid discoloration

Tomato Corn Salsa

Chilled tomato salsa with corn and hint of jalapeno is a BIG YES on hot afternoon. Salsa is rich in vitamin C and low in cholesterol (though chips are another extreme :)). The other day when I was entertaining guests, I decided to serve chips and fresh salsa (cold) in appetizer. Leftover I used to make tostadas. It can be prepared in a jiffy and homemade thing always adds value to the menu :)

Yields 2.5 to 3 cup

Preparation Time: 10 Minute

Cooking Time: 10 Minute + chilling time

Ingredients

1 can of diced/whole tomato (14-16 oz size)

1 fresh tomato

1 jalapeno

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Juice of one lime

Pinch of sugar

Dash of black pepper

½ tsp cumin powder

½ tsp red chili powder

2 tbsp coriander leaves

A small handful of corn kernels

Salt

Procedure

1. Boil and peel tomato, keep it aside

2. Boil corn kernels, keep them aside

3. Mix tomatoes, jalapeño, onion and garlic in a food processor, blend well

4. Add all remaining spices and again mix well (Do not make it very smooth, it should have little chunky texture)

5. Add corn and mix well

6. Serve cold

Guacamole

The other day when I was making Burritos/Mexican Pizza, I realized that I did not have Guacamole. But I did have avocado. We both love guacamole very much, not only with Mexican food but also with chips and crackers. It's a traditional Mexican Dip where ripe avocado is mashed using mortal and pestle along with onion, tomato and garlic. I neither had patience nor time to follow an authentic recipe, so I used food processor instead.  And I am really happy since now I do not have to be dependent on store bought guacamole.

Yields 2 cup

Preparation Time: 15 Minute

Cooking Time: NIL

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados

1/2 onion

1 tomato

Juice of 1-2 lime, as per taste

1/2 tsp cumin powder

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper **

2 tbsp coriander leaves

Salt

** Can be substituted with red chili powder

Procedure

1. Scoop and dice avocados. Add salt, cayenne pepper, cumin powder and lime juice and keep it aside (retain the juice and use it later to grind)

2. Dice tomato and onion

3. Mix all ingredients and grind into a smooth paste

This homemade guacamole can be refrigerated for a week or so.

Tomato Salsa

So far whenever I have made tomato based salsa, I have mixed finely chopped tomatoes, onions and jalapeños. This works absolutely fine with chips or as a side with Mexican food, but not when you want to use with burritos. Recently when I was making burritos I realized that I had run out of store bought salsa and had to come up with this last minute fix. I am quite happy with it and at least for burritos, I do not have to rely on ready made salsa.

Yields about 1.5 cup

Preparation Time: 5 Minute

Cooking Time: 20 Minute + refrigeration time

Ingredients

4 medium tomatoes

½ onion

1 jalapeno

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp coriander leaves

Salt

Procedure

1. Peel garlic, stem off jalapeno and arrange garlic, tomatoes (without cutting/peeling) and jalapeño in a baking tray at 350 F

2. Flip the sides frequently and when skin becomes charred , take them out (Garlic, tomatoes and jalapeno will get cooked in this order, altogether takes 15-20 minute)

3. Once they are out of oven, keep them covered using aluminum foil until they cool down completely and then grind into a smooth paste (Retain tomato skin and do not add water)

4. Finely chop onions and add to tomato mixture

5. Add salt and coriander leaves and mix well

6. Serve cold

Parsley Pesto

I had bought big bunch of Flat Leaf Parsley to make Falafel, but I did not know how to use/preserve left over. Then I read somewhere that I can pesto which can stay good for couple of weeks. Generally pesto is made using pine nuts, but I used walnuts instead.

Yields about 1 cup

Preparation Time: 10 Minute

Cooking Time: NIL

Ingredients

1-cup freshly chopped parsley

¼ cup walnut

½ tsp basil

½ tsp oregano

2 cloves of garlic

1/6 cup olive oil

Procedure

1. Toast walnuts on low flame for 3-5 minute

2. Mix them with rest of the ingredients and grind into a paste

I have not tried this pesto with spaghetti/pasta yet. But add salt and pepper and it indeed tastes good with toast, bread or crackers

Mexican Corn Dip

We tasted this dip first time at Chevy’s; this was my first experience with authentic Mexican food. This was severed as a side with enchiladas. We loved the taste but then it never occurred to me to try it at home. Then couple of days back, I was making Mexican Pizza and desperately looking for some side dish which would also serve as a dip for chips.

Yields about 2 cup

Preparation Time: 15 Minute

Cooking Time: NIL

Ingredients

1 11 oz can mexicorn

3 tbsp sour cream

6 tsp mayo

1/4 cup shredded cheddar

2 tbsp scallion, finely chopped

1 tsp chopped jalapeno

4-5 pc chopped olives

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

Procedure

1. Drain corn and pat dry with towel

2. In a bowl, mix mayo, sour cream, cheese, jalapeno, salt, sugar, pepper and cumin powder

3. Add corn this mixture

4. Garnish with scallion and olives

5. Chill it for at least for 2-3 hours before serving

This is an excellent dip choice to serve a large group, works great as an appetizer with chips.

White Sauce

Yields about 3 cups

Preparation Time: NIL

Cooking Time: 15 Minute

Ingredients

3 tbsp unsalted butter

3 tbsp all purpose flour

2.5 cup whole milk

Salt and Pepper

Procedure

1. Heat the butter in sauce pan on medium flame

2. Add flour to it and continuously stir it to avoid any lumps

3. Once flour starts changing color to light brown. add milk

4. Add salt and pepper

5. Stir for about 10-12 minute until mixture is thick and consistent

Hummus

Yields about 1 cup
Preparation Time: 10 Minute + soaking Time
Cooking Time: 20 Minute + refrigeration time

Ingredients
1-cup chickpeas
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt-pepper-lemon juice
Chopped parsley, red chili flakes for garnishing (optional)

Procedure
1. Soak chickpeas for 6-8 hours and pressure cook them with salt
2. Mix all ingredients except for garnishing and grind into a thick paste (use 1 tsp olive oil while grinding)
3. Add water if required (I used water retained after pressure cooking chickpeas)
4. Take out paste in a serving bowl, add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and garnish with parsley and chili flakes
5. Serve cold

Leftover can be frozen and it stays good fro couple of months

Pasta/Pizza Sauce

My mom is expert at making Pasta/Pizza Sauce. But I never tried sincerely in that direction, mainly because here we get wide range of ready-made sauce and secondly I will make pasta when I am running out of time to make Indian food. But then I realized store bought sauce is full of vinegar or any other preservative, which is not very good for health. After so many trials and errors, here is the recipe that is just perfect for us.

Yields about 4 cups
Preparation Time: 10 Minute
Cooking Time: 20 Minute

Ingredients
2 cans of Tomato Sauce (8 oz pack, with Basil, Garlic and Oregano)
2 medium tomatoes
6 medium red onions
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp basil leaves
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp whole black pepper
3 cloves of garlic
Salt and oregano per taste

Procedure
1. Heat oil in skillet and add pepper, garlic, basil and rosemary
3. Add 4 onions, cut into big pieces and add salt
4. Continuously stir the mixture till onions turn golden brown
5. Keep this mixture aside and grind it into smooth paste
6. Now in the same skillet, take remaining 1 tbsp olive oil
7. Chop remaining 2 onions and tomatoes and add to skillet
8. Once it starts leaving aroma and onion turns brown, add canned sauce
9. Add onion and herb paste and oregano
10. Stir it until mixture even and smooth

If pasta sauce, do not use chopped onions and tomatoes. Instead, grate them and make a puree. If pizza sauce, I like it little crunchy way, hence add more chopped onions and tomatoes.