QUICK RED HOT SALSA

One afternoon, after a hectic morning and a relaxing 2 hour nap, I woke up to find my house a little too quiet. With all my six senses on the alert, I looked for my little 7 year old daughter, and found her sitting in front of the television with a large bowl of tortilla chips along with a bowl of red tomato salsa.
Quickly processing this information in my mind I asked her where she had gotten the salsa from as I didn't have any at home.
Pat came the reply, "Oh I made it myself!'
My eyes just popped out. I had forbidden her to use any knives. Reading the question in my eyes she added, "I was hungry you know and you were sleeping for so long". Well I could not say anything after that except, "I am hungry too, give me a bite".
She happily brought me one tiny little half a chip with the salsa loaded on it.
And it was the best bite I had had in a long time.
Ever since that day she has been declared the "official red salsa maker" in our household.

She has over the years, improved her version of salsa. She has now substituted tabasco sauce with red bird's eye chili.
I am sharing her recipe that she used for making salsa for our friends recently.





quick red hot salsa...my daughter's version



QUICK RED HOT SALSA

my daughter's version

Ingredients:

.Tomato................................2 medium sized, 

 chopped into 1/2 cm. cubes

.Red capsicum......................1/4th, chopped finely

.Red bird's eye chili..............1 finely chopped

.Black pepper powder...........1/2 tsp., freshly

 crushed

.Red chili flakes.....................1/4th tsp.

.Dry oregano leaves................1/4th tsp.

.Dry basil leaves.....................1/4th tsp.

.Tomato ketchup......................1 Tbsp.

.Tomato puree..........................1 Tbsp.

.Salt.........................................1/2 tsp.

.Coriander leaves...................1 tsp. chopped

 finely.

Method:

.Mix together all the ingredients, except the capsicum and coriander leaves, in  mortar and using the

 pestle crush the mixture a little, keeping parts of it chunky.

.Add the red capsicum and coriander leaves and mix well.

.This version is spicy and very quick to make.

 

My version of red hot salsa is not very different from my daughter's except that I cook it just a little bit.

My version of salsa:

Ingredients:

.Ripe tomato.................................1 or 3/4th cup

.Red capsicum..............................1/4th cup,finely chopped

.Tomato puree...............................1/2 cup

.Red onion.....................................1/2 cup, finely chopped

.Celery stick..................................1/8th cup, finely chopped

.Red bird's eye chili......................4, finely chopped or 1 1/2 tsp.

.Red chili flakes............................1/2tsp.

.Dry oregano leaves......................1/2 tsp.

.Dry basil leaves...........................1/2tsp.

.Tomato ketchup............................1 Tbsp.

.Red chili sauce.............................1/2 Tbsp.

.Coriander leaves..........................1 1/2 Tbsp finely chopped

.Salt...............................................to taste, approximately 1/2 tsp.

.Black pepper powder...................1/4th tsp.

.Sugar.............................................1/2 tsp.

.Olive  oil......................................1/2 Tbsp.

.Garlic............................................1 tsp., finely  chopped



quick red hot salsa... my version



Method:

.Heat olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and saute on low heat till fragrant, about 45 seconds.

.Add the dry oregano and basil leaves.

.Add the celery and half the onion i.e 1/4th cup finely chopped and saute for 1 minute or till the mixture

 just begins to soften.

.Add tomato puree, red chili, red chili flakes, tomato ketchup, red chili sauce, salt, sugar and black

 pepper powder. Mix well.

.Cook for 1 minute.
.Add the red capsicum and mix well.

.Bring to a boil on a low to medium heat.

.Simmer for 1 minute.

.Cool to room temperature.

.Add  the chopped coriander leaves and the remaining onions and mix well.

.Serve as a dip for tortilla chips or tempura or pakora or on your burger, or in the wraps.