Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Basic Curried Tomato Sauce – no fat added


This is the basic curried tomato sauce that I made often. You can add low fat coconut milk or cashew cream if your fat budget allows. ;-) I like it just as well without the fat and whether I add fat is a function of what we had to eat earlier in the day. You can make this sauce a day or two in advance and reheat it on top of the stove with some fresh veggies tossed in. If you keep cooked brown rice in the refrigerator you can have dinner on the table in 15 minutes or less. Here is what I did today:

Basic Curried Tomato Sauce – no fat added
Makes 4 servings approximately 8 ounces each

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and finely minced (approximately 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated or finely minced (if organic I don’t bother to peel just thoroughly scrub)
½ cup water to sauté aromatics
14 ounces tomato sauce
2 cups tomatoes, peeled and diced
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon coriander seed, toasted
½ teaspoon cumin seed, toasted
½ teaspoon black mustard seed, toasted
1 dash asafoetida (aka hing)
1 dash cardamom, ground
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (increases the absorption of the turmeric so be generous)
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
sea salt to taste

Directions:

Water sauté the onions, garlic and ginger until just beginning to soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for thirty minutes stirring occasionally. Taste the sauce for flavor and adjust to your taste. Remember that the overall flavor of the dish will be diluted by the plain veggies and rice you add. I tend to make my sauce on the spicy side knowing that it will be tamed by the other ingredients.

Allow the sauce to cool and store in a tightly sealed container until needed.

To serve add fresh veggies (carrots, potatoes, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, shredded kale, shredded cabbage, mushrooms or anything really) and until they are warmed through. We like this over brown rice, quinoa, millet or even pasta. Sometimes I finish it with sliced almonds, other times I add a few roasted cashews. You can also top with a dollop of cashew crème fraiche. I also like to sprinkle it with parsley or cilantro just before serving.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 66.45
Calories From Fat (9%) - 5.79

Total Fat - 0.69g
Saturated Fat - 0.1g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 527.5mg
Potassium - 637.63mg
Total Carbohydrates - 14.45g
Fiber - 3.63g
Sugar - 8.38g
Protein - 2.97g

Comments:

I have loved Indian food since college. My best friend was from Madras and she introduced me to spicy southern Indian food. As a teenager that grew up in Indiana I was not too familiar with Indian food but it grew on me very quickly. As much as I love Indian food when you order it out it frequently contains a lot of fat, frightening amounts actually. However when you make it at home you have control over the amount of fat in the dish. This sauce has great flavor and no added fat. I think it is wonderful example that healthy no oil added food can have big voluptuous flavor and be good for you. Veggies enrobed in this sauce are always tasty.

Unrelated note:

It is a very odd feeling to have dinner almost finished and I haven’t had lunch yet. Dan is going to get home tonight wondering who I am and what I have done with his wife. ;-) We have been having huge salads for dinner almost everything night for the last week. It really felt like we needed a little cooked food for change. Of course we will be having a green salad on the side to go with our cooked food. In the old days I used to make a curried vinaigrette that we both liked. I will need to come up with an Indian flavored salad dressing for our dinner tonight. As soon as I figure out what this means I will be back to share the recipe.

14 comments:

  1. This looks wonderful, I love Indian food. And dinner in 15 min. or less is always a good thing!!

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  2. Janet,

    Thanks! :-)

    I like to keep things on hand like this sauce and cooked whole grains. Many times I don't plan dinner (though I should) and items like this are handy and quick. ;-)

    Ali

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  3. This sounds fantastic. It's such a great feeling to have so much done so early isn't it?!

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  4. Heather,

    It is nice to be so far ahead today. A very strange feeling for me, LOL.

    talk to you later,
    Ali

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  5. Yum, this sounds good; I love the color...my co-worker brought me some hing, but I can't stand the smell of it...does it add flavor, or is it just for the digestion?

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  6. Rose,

    LOL, I have not met anyone that likes the smell of hing. I think the name translates as devils dung. ;-) It adds a little something that is undeniably Indian. Don't use much those it will overwhelm and not in a good way.

    talk to you later,
    Ali

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  7. ok, I still haven't tried curried food yet, I know I know....I am a total chicken. I am weird like that, but the picture is really pretty and I like the idea of soup and salad night!
    Ok, so I need you to make me some japanese food again with bean sprouts and tofu....like a chow mein, sans frying...can you do that? lol

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  8. Brandi,

    I think you should try making Indian but start with half the spices first and see what you think. Something tells me you will be surprised.

    Tonight I am serving the sauce with steamed broccoli over brown rice. Don't know what I will add to it for Dan's lunch tomorrow. ;-)

    For the tofu how about marinate and then bake it and then lightly steam the bean sprouts? I think that would work. You could use grated jicama in place of rice or zucchini noodles as the base.

    talk to you later,
    Ali

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  9. I am from Indiana too!
    My husband is from Madras and we eat that spicy, vegetarian, southern Indian food most of the time.

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  10. Ooo, sounds good!

    I just found and really like your blog! We should swap links!

    http://misskitchenwitch.blogspot.com

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  11. Teresa,

    I grew up on Lake Michigan in Porter County Indiana if you know where that is. Nice to meet you. ;-) There aren't too many vegans from Indiana that I have met yet.

    The mom of my friend from Madras taught me a lot about making Indian food. I have loved it ever since. Other than Italian (which is in my DNA) Indian is my next favorite food.

    Ali

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  12. Kitchen Witch,

    Thanks! You have a nice blog too! I just added you to my blog roll and am following you now. :-)

    Ali

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  13. Indian flavored salad dressing? That is low fat? I'm very excited about that, can hardly wait! I love-Love Indian cuisine (and Nepali ;) ) and always need some coaxing to eat my salads. I'll be anxiously awaiting that post.
    The tomato sauce looks just amazing, and I'm making some for tonight.
    Thanks and I hope your day is cooler!
    Meg

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  14. Meg,

    I just posted the dressing if you want to take a look. I adore salad now so I don't need much coaxing to eat it. But I wasn't always that way. After a few months on E2L I started to love and crave salad though I don't know why. ;-)

    I need to find a book on Nepalese cooking now I know I don't have one I am on a quest. LOL

    It is much cooler here today. I didn't wilt watering my garden just now. ;-)

    I hope you have a good day,
    Ali

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