Mexican Chilli Sauce

Mexican Chilli Sauce

  • Serves: 600ml
  • Prep Time: 00:10
  • Cooking Time: 00:20
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A quick and easy, fresh tasting robust Mexican chilli sauce with a little kick to it. It's perfect as a condiment but it also works as an enchilada or taco sauce. I love it as a dipping sauce for finger food and to spice up my guacamole. There are endless uses for this rich flavoured sauce. You can adjust the kick by increasing the chilli flakes. I'm happy to say that this recipe now replaces my family's favourite store-bought Mexican Chilli Sauce.

Ingredients

* Please click on the green icon next to the ingredients listed below for extra details and helpful information.

  • 1 sml onion(s), finely diced
  • 2 - 3 tsp coconut oil
  • 3 tsp garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp ginger, minced or finely grated
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 3/4 tsp paprika
  • 3/4 tsp dried chilli powder, flakes (or adjust to your taste)
  • 500ml passata/tomato puree
  • 1/4 cup organic white wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup (100%)
  • 2 tsp organic Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt

Directions

Add the onion and coconut oil to a medium saucepan and cook stirring until soft.

Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, then add the cumin, coriander, paprika and chilli flakes, and stir the spices through the onion mixture until fragrant.

Add the passata, vinegar, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, oregano and salt. Stir well and bring to a simmer.

Simmer for 15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken a little. Stir often to prevent the sauce catching on the bottom of the saucepan.

Allow the sauce to cool and then pour into a sterilised glass bottle or jar and store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks.

For a smoother sauce: pour into a blender and blend unto you reach your desired consistency (add a little water if you prefer a thinner sauce).

onion(s)

In my recipes when listing onion I am referring to a brown (also called yellow) onion. Onions are members of the allium plant family which also includes garlic, leeks, spring onions and shallots. Onions are valued more for the flavour they impart in cooking than for their nutritional content. Onions are know for their antibacterial effect helping to prevent superficial infections and their sulfur compounds may block carcinogens.

coconut oil

Coconut oil is one of the most nutritious fats to cook and bake with. Use organic extra-virgin coconut oil which is unrefined and unbleached from non GMO coconuts. Coconut oil has a high smoking point and it is slow to oxidize due to its high saturated fat content, thus, resistant to going rancid. Some studies suggest coconut oil helps with digestion, including irritable bowel, tummy bugs, candida and parasites due to this oil containing short term medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs), which is a healthy form of saturated fat.

garlic

Garlic is a close relative to the onion and has been used throughout history for both medicinal and culinary purposes. In most of my recipes I use minced garlic as I find it distributes better throughout the dish. When in a hurry I use organic minced garlic which I purchase in glass jars and store in the fridge. When garlic powder is needed for a particular recipe, I use 'Simply Organic' brand. Why is garlic so good for us? It is an immune booster, antibiotic, good for the heart, cancer fighter and it's also knew as a weight loss aid (appetite suppressant).

ginger

Ginger root is widely used as a spice but also for medicinal purposes. It is a hot spice which you will find in many commercial curry powders. It's often used to prevent motion sickness and nausea. Some studies have shown joint swelling in people suffering with arthritis experience less pain and swelling when taken daily. I like to use fresh minced ginger in my meals and dry ground ginger in baked goods.

cumin

Cumin is a medium - hot spice which blends well in curries and is the main spice in the Middle Eastern dip, hummus. It is being studied for potential anti-oxidant and anticancer effects.

coriander

Coriander is also know as cilantro. The fresh chopped green leaves in large amounts are a good source of vitamin C. The fresh leaves are an ingredient in many Indian, Thai, and Mexican dishes. They are usually tossed through just before serving as the heat can diminish the flavour. The dried fruits are known as coriander seeds, the seeds have a lemony citrus flavour when crushed. The word coriander in food preparation may only be referring to the ground seeds not the plant.

paprika

Paprika is a spice made from grinding dried mild and sweet red chili peppers. Paprika is used to add colour and flavour to a dish. It has a sweet pungent flavour and distinct bitter aftertaste. Even just a small sprinkle of paprika can deliver antioxidants and nutrients like, Vitamin A, E and B6, also iron. I purchase an organic paprika made by 'Simply Organic' (from iherb.com). Paprika is a nightshade.

chilli powder

Chilli is the spicy fruit of plants that belong to the capsicum family. It is eaten fresh or dried. Chilli powder is dried and ground red chilli peppers. They are members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Red chillies contain large amounts of vitamin C and are a good source of most B vitamins, they are also very high in potassium, magnesium and iron.

passata/tomato puree

Purchase organic tomato passata/puree in glass containers (pure tomato without sugar or salt). Tomatoes are acidic which increases the rate at which BPA enters food and this can be a concern with canned tomato products. Tomatoes are a useful source of vitamin C, beta carotene, folate and potassium. Tomatoes are a nightshade vegetable.

white wine vinegar

Use organic white wine vinegar if possible produced by slow fermentation.

maple syrup (100%)

Maple syrup is an earthy, sweet tasting amber liquid that is produced by boiling down the sap of maple trees. Use organic 100% maple syrup which is a natural food sweetener, not a flavoured maple syrup. Pure maple syrup contains a decent amount of some minerals, especially manganese and zinc, some traces of potassium and calcium but it does contain a whole bunch of sugar. I try to reduced the amount of sweetness in each recipe to the lowest possible without compromising taste. Feel free to adjust to your liking. I use maple syrup in place of raw honey when I don't want the strong honey flavour coming through in a recipe. I have paleo cookies and desserts in my cookbook made from whole food ingredients with natural sugars but please don’t overindulge. Use as a treat only for special occasions.

Worcestershire sauce

My choice in Worcestershire sauce is an organic brand ‘Melrose’. This sauce adds a delicious savoury flavour to meat dishes. Regular brands contain gluten and most have MSG, colours and flavours.

oregano

Oregano is an important culinary herb. It's used for the flavour of its leaves, when dried the leaves are more flavourful than fresh. Oregano has an aromatic, warm and slightly bitter taste and is popular in Italian and Mediterranean cuisines. I prefer to purchase an organic brand, Simply Organic.

sea salt

Organic unbleached, unrefined organic Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt is my salt of choice as these contain healthy minerals and trace elements that our body needs. Regular table salt has been bleached, refined and processed leaving minimal health benefits. If you choose to use regular table salt in my recipes you will need to reduce the quantity or the end result will be to salty.