Spiced tomato sauce

Step 1/4

• ¾ tbsp capers in brine
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ green chili
• ½ clove garlic
• thumb sized piece ginger
• handful raisins

• mortar and pestle
• knife
• cutting board

Peel and roughly chop the ginger and garlic. Roughly chop the chilli. Place in a pestle and mortar and pound until it breaks down. Add the tumeric, cumin seeds and coriander seeds and grind together. Finally, roughly chop the capers and add to the mixture, as well as the raisins and enough caper brine to bring the ingredients together as a paste (it doesn't have to be perfectly homogeneous, don't worry).

Step 2/4

• ½ red onion
• ½ tbsp olive oil

• can opener
• saucepan

Open your can of tomatoes so you are not rushing around when frying the spice mixture. Heat the olive oil over a medium high heat in a saucepan, and fry for around two minutes or until fragrant, stirring often - just make sure that nothing burns. Add the onion and fry for 10 minutes over a medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

Step 3/4

• 200 g canned diced tomatoes
• ½ pinch sugar

• wooden spoon

Add the tinned tomatoes. Fill up the can with water, swirl around and add to the pan. Add a pinch of sugar - brown sugar will give it a rich flavour, but this isn't an ingredient you need to fuss over. Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4/4

Taste the sauce, not just for salt but flavour in general. People like different levels of spiciness, acidity, etc. If it needs more spice, toast some more coriander and cumin seeds in a pan, grind and add to it, and chilli if you like it spicier. If it needs acidity, squeeze in some lemon juice. It may need seasoning, but capers are already salty. Enjoy over pasta, use as a curry base - be creative!

Enjoy your meal!