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Salsat al Banadoura

Although this is not a pickle, I am including the recipe because it is a very useful sauce to have at hand when required, and it can be prepared in advance and stored in jars. It keeps for months if the surface remains covered with a film of oil.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 6

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped
Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and quartered
Salt and pepper
1–2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fry the onion until soft and golden in 3 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan. Add the whole garlic cloves and fry for a few minutes longer, until lightly colored.

    Step 2

    Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper, and the sugar. Sprinkle with oregano, and cook gently over low heat, squashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until softened. Then cover the pan and simmer very gently for 1 hour, or until the tomatoes are reduced to a thick jammy sauce.

    Step 3

    Remove the garlic cloves and pour the sauce into a glass jar. Pour a thin layer of oil over the surface, cover the jar tightly, and store in the refrigerator.

  2. Variation:

    Step 4

    A Moroccan version adds 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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