Pizza/ Pasta Sauce

Today, I am sharing a very simple homemade sauce, Pizza /Pasta sauce..Main ingredients of this sauce is ripe red tomatoes which is cooked and combined with other ingredients and pureed in blender...Pizza / Pasta sauce is available in almost all supermarkets..Why buying store bought sauce?..We can make it at home..In google and you tube,there are different methods of making this sauce..I researched it and finally I had my own way of making this sauce..You can add your own ingredients and make it your own way..I used this spread for homemade pizza and refrigerated remaining sauce for pasta..You can make it in large quantities and store this in clean plastic freezer bags or airtight container..You can use this as needed..It can be used for sandwich spread too.. Okay ,Lets go to the ingredients :)

    Ingredients

• Ripe red tomatoes - 3 large

• Tomato ketchup/ tomato sauce - 1 tbsp

• Garlic powder - 1 tsp ( can substitute it with garlic paste)

• Shallots,sliced - 3 no.s ( you can substitute it with one small onion)

• Green/ red capsicum,chopped - half of one large capsicum

• Any Italian seasoning ( oregano,thyme or mixed herbs) - 2 tsp

• Paprika powder -  -1 tsp ( you can substitute it with red chilli powder or chilli flakes)

• Salt - 1 tsp

• Sugar - 1 tsp

• Olive oil - 2 tsp

    Method

• In a pan, heat olive oil and add garlic paste and saute well..If using garlic powder,ignore this step..

• Add shallots and saute till transparent..

• Add chopped capsicum and saute for few seconds..

• Add chopped red tomatoes and saute well for few minutes..Close it with lid and simmer at medium flame for 10 minutes..

• Then add garlic powder at this stage ( If using garlic paste,ignore this step)..

• Add paprika powder and saute well..

• Add sugar and salt and saute well..Sugar is added in order to remove acidity in tomatoes..

• Add Italian seasoning and saute well..

• Add 1/3 cup of water and close the lid...

• Close the lid and cook at high flame for 2 to 3 minutes...Can stir in between..

• When it becomes thick gravy,off the flame and set aside to cool..

• When it cools down,puree this in blender...

• Store this in airtight container or freezer bags and use when desire..

     Notes:

• While making this sauce, use fresh ripe red tomatoes...

• If you wish, you can blanch the tomatoes..Blanching means boiling tomatoes in hot water ( make slits in a tomatoes) for 30 seconds and immediately place the tomatoes in cold water and remove the skin of it.[ I didn't use this step]

• Instead of salt,you can add a tsp of soya sauce...

• You can add mayonnaise at the end,if you wish..Make sure to add last,when the puree cools down..

• Instead of Italian seasoning, you can add a pinch of cumin powder...