Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
- 1 medium onion - finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - peeled and sliced
- 1.5 inch piece root ginger - peeled and thinly sliced (it should look about the same volume as the garlic)
- 2 mild fleshy green chillies, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
- 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato paste mixed with 4 tablespoons water
Directions
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Heat the oil in a heavy pan then add the chopped onion and stir for a few minutes with the heat on high.
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Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli (if using). Stir for 30 seconds then put the heat down to very low.
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Cook for 15 minutes stirring from time to time making sure nothing browns or burns.
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Add the turmeric, cumin and coriander and cook, still very gently, for a further 5 minutes. Don’t burn the spices or the sauce will taste horrid – sprinkle on a few drops of water if you’re worried.
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Take off the heat and cool a little. Put 4 fl oz cold water in a blender, add the contents of the pan and whizz until very smooth. Add the passata and stir.
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Put the puréed mixture back into the pan and cook for 20 – 30 minutes (the longer the better) over very low heat stirring occasionally. You can add a little hot water if it starts to catch on the pan but the idea is to gently “fry” the sauce which will darken in colour to an orangy brown.