This recipe applies to all 3
For about 300ml salsa or sambal you need
½ medium red (milder flavour) or white onion, finely chopped
1-2 chillis or jalapenos, seeded, depending on the heat of the chilli and what you enjoy, finely sliced
Juice of 1 small lime for Mexican, use red wine vinegar for the Indian version
1 ml salt
2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into 10cm cubes try to use ‘fleshy tomatoes’. If they have too many seeds, rather remove the seeds and use only the flesh. If you do this double up on the volume of tomatoes; if you are making a salad cut the tomato into 3mm thick slices
OR
You need about 15 (a cup) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered. If you can use a variety of shapes and colours it looks beautiful
½ cup fresh coriander leaves (Basil or parsley can be used for a tomato salad), chopped
For tomato salad add 15ml olive oil
To prepare
Place the first 4 ingredients into a non-reactive bowl (avoid metal) mix well and allow them to stand while you prepare the other ingredients. Allow these ingredients to ‘marinate’ for about 15 minutes.
Slice and chop the tomatoes and the coriander. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together.
This salsa needs to stand for at least 3 hours for the flavours to mature. It benefits from a day in the fridge. It may draw liquid, so drain off the excess or transfer to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon.
For a tomato salad, prepare as for above but slice the tomatoes about 3mm thick, layer them on a flat plate. Add the oil to the onion mix and spoon it over the tomatoes.
