Tangy Ketchup

MAKES ABOUT 400ML / 1⅔ CUPS

generous drizzle of olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp ground mixed spice

½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground coriander

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)

1 tsp light soy sauce

50ml / 3½ tbsp date syrup

50ml / 3½ tbsp maple syrup

70ml / 4½ tbsp red wine vinegar

700g / 1½lb tomatoes (any sort; roughly chop larger than cherry size)

lemon juice, to taste (if needed)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and, when hot, add the onions and sweat down for 10 minutes, stirring often to avoid catching.

Add the garlic, all the spices and ½ teaspoon salt and cook out for 1–2 minutes until very fragrant, then add the bay leaf, tomato purée (paste), soy sauce, date syrup, maple syrup, vinegar and tomatoes.

Bring to the boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let bubble away for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and let simmer for another 30 minutes, stirring more often. You’ll need to stand over the sauce for the last 10 minutes as it will have reduced down a lot and could be prone to catching.

Remove and discard the bay leaf, then transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until very smooth; taste to check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, and lemon juice, if you like (be aware that flavours will dull once cool). Leave to cool and store in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 1 month.