Coconut Curry Tomato Sauce

5.0
(4,784)
2 Reviews

This tomato sauce, fragrant with the warm flavors of ginger, jalapeño, and mild curry powder, will become one of your favorite kitchen shapeshifters. It's infinitely versatile: Use it as a poaching liquid, finishing sauce, or even as a soup base.

By
Grace Parisi
Grace Parisi
Grace Parisi a former senior test kitchen editor for Food & Wine, where she wrote several successful monthly columns: Food & Wine Handbook, Tasting & Testing, Flavor of the Month, Power Pantry, and Chefs Recipes Made Easy. Parisi has also been published in McCall’s, Redbook, and The New York Times, has written five hit cookbooks, and has appeared numerous times on national television.
Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on February 5, 2023
Coconut Curry Tomato Sauce
Photo: © Wendell T. Webber
Total Time:
35 mins
Yield:
4 cups
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

  • 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons mild curry powder

  • 1 (28-ounce) can peeled tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved

  • 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • Kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger; cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the coconut milk, and sugar; bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 20 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and transfer to a bowl.

Make ahead

The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Note

Applications: Use as a poaching liquid for chicken, shrimp, lamb, pork, and vegetables. Add to a sauté at the last minute. Toss with boiled potatoes or serve over rice. Mix with chicken stock and vegetables or seafood for a quick soup.

Originally appeared: December 2002

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