Food Focus: Salsa Verde & Salsa Roja

Country Of Origin: Mexico

Salsa Verde (green salsa) and Salsa Roja (red salsa) are the 2 most common types of commercial salsas found outside Mexico. They are extremely versatile and can be eaten with many types of food such as tacos, nachos, burritos and fajitas. However, they can be rather pricey when bought from stores, especially when one likes to consume them in large quantities. Frankly, it is not extremely difficult to make at home. And it is much cheaper. Which is why we are providing you with these tried and tested recipes.

Salsa Roja (red salsa)

 Ingredients:
- 7 tomatoes, insides scooped out into a separate bowl (for the green salsa), roughly chopped
- 1 big white onion, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 small tin tomato paste (like Hunt's or Contadina)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 local green chillies, sliced (use the seeds too)
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a non-stick, deep dish pan. Add in the tomato paste, onions, garlic and chillies. Fry under medium heat until tomato paste starts to change to a darker colour. Add in the chopped tomatoes and fry under high heat until tomatoes soften. Add in the water and bring to a boil. Mix well and cover the mixture. Lower down to low-medium heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stirring every now and then to prevent any burning. Remove the lid and off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool, stirring constantly. Ladle the mixture into a blender and pulse under its lowest setting until the sauce turns smooth (about 2 mins). Pour into a clean glass jar and allow to cool before refrigerating it. Keeps well for a week to a week and a half.

Salsa Verde (green salsa)

Salsa Verde is usually a challenge to make at home as it is quite difficult to find tomatillos (the original fruit used for green salsa) and green tomatoes (the first choice subsitute) in Singapore. So we have devised a recipe that produces a salsa that matches the taste and texture of the original Salsa Verde.

Ingredients:
- 5 green bell peppers (capsicums), seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 1 big white onion, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 bunch parsley (about 50g), roughly chopped
- the insides of the 7 tomatoes used in Salsa Roja
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a non-stick, deep dish pan. Add onions and garlic to the pan and fry until onions turn soft. Add the peppers, parsley and tomato insides. Fry on high heat until peppers turn soft. Add the vinegar and bring to a boil. Mix well and cover the mixture. Lower down to low-medium heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stirring every now and then to prevent any burning. Remove the lid and off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool, stirring constantly. Ladle the mixture into a blender and pulse under its lowest setting until the sauce turns smooth (about 2 mins). Pour into a clean glass jar and allow to cool before refrigerating it. Keeps well for a week to a week and a half.