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Preparation

• Roughly chop the onion.
• Chop the ginger.
• Chop the garlic.
• Make a paste by blending the ginger and garlic with a little water.

Cooking

1. Put the onion, chopped tomato, ginger and garlic paste and salt into a pan and add 300ml water.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 min, gradually adding water to replace the volume over this time.
3. Stir in the tomato purée, turmeric and paprika.
4. Bring back to a boil and continue to simmer for 5 min.
5. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
6. When cool blend until very smooth.
7. If necessary add sufficient warm water to make 300 ml.
8. Store in a refrigerator or if not using immediately freeeze in sizes of 150 ml each.

Notes

The ingredients can easily be doubled in quantity to make 600 ml.
This is just a basic framework of such a base sauce but it can be used just as it is.
There are many versions of this that have been developed by individuals and here are some of the optional additions that have been suggested and the quantities that could be used...

Carrot: 15 gm for 300 ml and 30 gm for 600 ml.
Green or Red pepper: 10 gm for 300 ml and 20 gm for 600 ml.
Celery: ¼ stick for 300 ml and ½ stick for 600 ml.
Fresh Coriander: 5 gm for 300 ml and 10 gm for 600 ml.

Optionally added spices might include the following...

Ground Cumin: ½ tspn for 300 ml and 1 tspn for 600 ml.
Curry Powder: ¼ tspn for 300 ml and ½ tspn for 600 ml.
Chilli Powder: 1/8 tspn for 300 ml and ¼ tspn for 600 ml.

It is not suggested that all of these be included, but they do show the sort of variations that individuals have tried in order to obtain that BIR taste. The results are very subjective and with the relatively small amounts made here it is possible to experiment to find a balance of ingredients that suit any particular taste.

As an example the following might be tried...

Carrot: 15 gm for 300 ml and 30 gm for 600 ml.
Green or Red pepper: 10 gm for 300 ml and 20 gm for 600 ml.
Fresh Coriander: 5 gm for 300 ml and 10 gm for 600 ml.
Ground Cumin: ½ tspn for 300 ml and 1 tspn for 600 ml.
Chilli Powder: 1/8 tspn for 300 ml and ¼ tspn for 600 ml.

The preparation stage
Enlarge image

The finished meal