Skip to main content

Spicy Tomato Jam

Little pot of bubbling goodness seeks lentil patties, sweet potato fries, or pretty much anything else.

I recently made this recipe from Crumb Blog for lentil patties with tomato jam. The lentil patties were pretty good, but the tomato jam was really something to write home about.

It's one of those foods that makes you feel warm, even when it's cold. It has just the right balance of sweetness, acidity, and spice. The mustard seeds are a must (haha, mustard seeds). Their crunch, and the little burst of toasty peppery flavor that follows, are amazing in contrast to the rest of the flavors. The next time you're tempted to put ketchup on something, consider this instead. 

I have a little bit of this gold left over in the freezer. I'm thinking I may thin it out with vegetable broth and use it as a sauce for a stir-fry. Stay tuned for the results.

The only change I made to this recipe was upping the amount of mustard seeds. I think 1 tsp is the perfect amount to make sure you get some crunch in each bite. I also changed the point at which the cumin and red pepper flakes are added. I think sauteeing them with the garlic, shallot, and ginger for a moment before adding the liquids makes them more flavorful.

The Recipe:
2 tb olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced finely
1 shallot, minced finely
2 tb ginger root, grated
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 c cider vinegar
28 oz tomatoes, crushed
1/2 c brown sugar
  • In sauce pan, saute garlic, shallot, and ginger in oil for 2-3 minutes. 
  • Add mustard seeds and cook 2 minutes.
  • Stir in cumin and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds.
  • Stir in the remaining ingredients. 
  • Simmer, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes until the jam is thick and glossy like ketchup. Stir occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn.

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A
Overall reason: Adds warm spiciness to anything that would normally get ketchup.
Time to prepare: 10 minutes of work, 60 minutes total
Husband quote: "It's sweet and spicy, like you."



Labels:

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 24, 2013 at 10:59 AM

    I, too, was rather impressed the first time I made tomato jam. So much flavor! I will have to look back at the recipe I used. I think it was similar, but with no mustard seeds, and given your recommendation, I might have to try it with those next time.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Curry Fried Rice

Excited for these leftovers. One of the things I wanted to try with my  new jar of curry powder  was fried rice. Years ago, Miles got fried rice at  Korea House  and it was the best fried rice I'd ever had. I suspected there was curry powder in it, but at that time I had never really cooked with curry powder, so I tucked that knowledge away for a later date. After reading a few recipes, I went rogue on this one. I couldn't even begin to effectively guess at what proportions I ended up with, so the recipe below is more of a rough guideline of ingredients. The "Recipe" (sorry no quantities; follow your heart): leftover jasmine rice tofu, cubed and crisped in the oven with avocado oil and salt vegetables: garlic, onion, cabbage, red bell pepper salt curry powder (I used a Vietnamese one) soy sauce sugar sesame oil future topping ideas: runny egg, sesame seeds, green onion Saute the vegetables in avocado oil until softened, and salt them to taste Add the tofu and toss to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Samosa Burritos

Imagine a pile of plain yogurt and some Indian pickle for dipping I saw a Pinterest recipe for samosa-filled quesadillas, which led me to  this recipe  from Nadia's Healthy Kitchen for baked samosas using tortillas, which led me to just use the giant tortillas I had in the fridge and make them into full-sized burritos. They were a hit! I largely followed the recipe from Nadia's Healthy Kitchen, but I added some potato, omitted the chana masala powder and just added a bunch of cumin instead, added bell pepper and fresh chilies, didn't bother with the "sealing paste," and basted them in a little bit of melted butter (omit for vegan version). Everyone except the 5-year-old liked them! The Recipe (adapted from  Nadia's Healthy Kitchen ) 2 cans (30 oz total) cooked garbanzo beans, rinsed (I eyeballed the equivalent from dry beans) 1 small onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 thai chili, minced 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 potato, baked until soft (or microwaved for...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.
2 comments
Read more