Sauces and Spices

Sweet & Sour Sauce

Tamarind pulp ½ cup
Chili powder ½ tsp
Salt ½ tsp
Ketchup 2 tbsp
Sugar 3 tbsp
Method
In a pan, put together ½ cup tamarind pulp, ½ tsp chili powder, ½ tsp salt, 2 tbsp ketchup and 3 tbsp sugar. Cook till thick. Remove, cool and pour over firs.

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

Directions

Mix together the tomato paste, water, and olive oil. Mix well. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste, oregano, basil, and rosemary. Mix well and let stand several hours to let flavors blend. No cooking necessary, just spread on dough.

Cheese Sauce

• Measure out equal amounts of butter and flour.
• Dice the butter into small cubes and melt it in a saucepan over low heat.
• Once the butter is melted, begin whisking in the flour.
• When all the flour is incorporated, continue stirring and cooking for a few minutes to activate the starch granules.
• If you're making a white or light-colored cheese sauce, keep the heat low enough so the roux does not brown.
• Next comes the milk. If the roux is hot, the milk should be cool, but if the roux is cool, the milk should be hot. Combining the two ingredients at different temperatures ensures that they will heat up at a moderate rate--not too fast, and not too slow--creating a velvety-smooth sauce.
• Whisk the mixture until smooth, then add seasonings if you wish. Traditional seasonings for béchamel are diced onion, a bay leaf, a couple cloves, and a pinch of nutmeg.
• Allow the sauce to simmer until it has lost its "floury" taste (about 20 minutes), then strain out any seasonings.
• Remove the pan from the heat and gently blend in the cheese. If the cheese doesn't seem to be melting, return the pan to very low heat, but watch it carefully and remove as soon as the cheese is melted.

Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 6 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 onions, minced
• 2 green bell peppers, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons white wine
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; add tomatoes, onions, green bell peppers, garlic, white wine and salt and pepper to taste.

Mix ingredients well; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve

BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 dashes hot pepper sauce

Directions

In a blender, combine brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water and Worcestershire sauce. Season with mustard, paprika, salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce. Blend until smooth. 

Enchanted spice: GARAM MASALA

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 ½ tsp black cumin seeds (shahjeera)
• 1 ½ tsp dry ginger
• ¾ tsp black cardamom (3-4 large pods approx)
• ¾ tsp cloves
• ¾ tsp cinnamon (2 X 1” pieces)
• ¾ tsp crushed bay leaves

Preparation:

• Heat a heavy skillet on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients (leave cardamom in its pods till later) except the dry ginger, till they turn a few shades darker. Stir occasionally. Do not be tempted to speed up the process by turning up the heat as the spices will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside.
• When the spices are roasted turn off the heat and allow them to cool.
• Once cooled, remove the cardamom seeds from their skins and mix them back with all the other roasted spices.
• Grind them all together, to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
• Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.