Calcutta Pasta Sauce

Title:
Calcutta Pasta Sauce

Yield:
1 Batch

Categories:
Seasonings,
Indian,
Sauces




Ingredients:





     2 tb Butter


 1 1/2 tb Cumin seed; crushed


     1 tb Paprika


     3    Garlic cloves; minced


     2 tb Fresh ginger root; minced


     2    Jalapenos; seeded and minced


 3 1/2 c  Chopped fresh or canned


          -- tomatoes


     1 ts Cardamom; ground


   1/2 tb Garam masala


   1/2 c  Plain yogurt


   1/2 c  Heavy cream (opt'l.)


          -- (for richer sauce)


   1/4 c  Fresh cilantro; chopped






 Saute cumin, paprika, garlic, ginger root and jalapenos in butter until


 golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cardamom and garam


 masala. Simmer gently until thickened, 30 to 60 minutes (depending on


 juiciness of tomatoes).  Add yogurt, optional cream and cilantro. Heat


 through, but do not boil. Serve over couscous or pasta.


 


 The editors wrote: "The Italians do not have a corner on tomato sauce. We


 received recipes for ones of Indian, Mexican, Caribbean and other ethnic


 persuasions - many quite complex and intriguing. Except perhaps for the


 garam masala (for which you could substitute commercial curry powder), this


 exotic dish could come right from your local supermarket."


 


 Recipe from Leesa Townsend of Aurora, OR in "Great Spaghetti Sauce Cookoff"


 article in "The Herb Companion." Dec. 1992/Jan. 1993, Vol. 5, No. 2. Pg.


 78.  Posted by Cathy Harned.


 


 From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini