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Spicy Salsa Roja

Spicy Salsa Roja

I wouldn’t consider my family to be huge fans of spicy foods, but I can honestly say that they have come to love this Spicy Salsa Roja. Simply meaning “red sauce”, this recipe combines fresh tomatoes, lemon, ginger, and garlic with toasted sesame, red onion, and soy to create an excellent flavour profile that will compliment any dish.
We especially like to serve this with our Chicken and Vegetable Momos or as a dipping sauce for our Crispy Chicken Fingers.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 1
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: Central America
Calories: 422
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups tomatoes chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 red onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger minced
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 3 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
  • 1/2 lemon juice + zest
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt

Equipment

  • blender or food processor
  • large frying pan
  • small frying pan
  • citrus juicer
  • microplane
  • measuring cups and spoons

Method
 

Mise en Place
  1. Assemble equipment. Peel and chop garlic and red onion, peel and mince and ginger, juice and zest lemon, chop tomatoes, measure and separate all ingredients.
Cooking + Assembly
  1. Add sesame seeds to a small frying pan and toast for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, being careful not to burn. Remove and set aside.
  2. Add oil to a large frying pan and heat on medium. When oil begins to shimmer, add garlic, ginger, and red onion. Cook together for approximately 3 minutes until tender and fragrant. Add chili flakes and continue to cook for 1 additional minute.
  3. Add tomatoes and bring to a light simmer. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for five minutes, adding the toasted sesame to the pan with 30 seconds remaining.
  4. Pour the tomato mixture into a blender and add the remaining salt, soy sauce, lemon juice and zest, and water. Blend the mixture on high for approximately 30 seconds to form a thick sauce.
  5. Check the flavour and add additional salt or chili flakes to taste, blending quickly to combine. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Although the title says "spicy", my definition of heat is probably much different than most people. I would actually consider this sauce to be fairly mild, so feel free to ramp things up if you want more heat.
  • Try substituting fresh Thai red chilies or even jalapeno to give this sauce some kick.
  • I prefer to use fresh diced tomatoes for this recipe, but canned tomatoes can also be used.
  • This sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.