Try this Homemade Enchilada Sauce recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 4.25059667073391 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.15811833461847 g
- Fiber 1.80431669170825 g
- Protein 1.11667500092607 g
- Saturated Fat 0.156105333556349 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (8g)
- Sodium 43.3268334131894 mg
- Sugar 2.44627997902566 g
- Trans Fat 0.187429333546145 g
- Calories 26 calories
Step-by-step
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
Swapping canned tomato sauce for pureed fresh tomatoes alters the moisture balance and demands an extra pinch of sugar to mask raw acidity. Standard commercial tomato sauce provides a homogenized base with sufficient pectin to keep ground spices suspended without heat. Without cooking, however, raw chili powder retains a sharp, dusty edge.
Chemical Interaction of Spices and Soluble Solids
Ground cumin contains volatile oils like cuminaldehyde, which dissolve poorly in cold water but disperse adequately when massaged into the slightly acidic medium of tomato puree. Garlic powder and dried oregano distribute evenly through mechanical whisking alone, though they require a minimum rest period of twenty minutes to hydrate fully. The small dash of cinnamon introduces cinnamaldehyde, a compound that rounds out the heavy earthiness of chili powder by targeting receptor sites on the tongue associated with sweetness. Salt acts as an ionic catalyst, accelerating the perception of these fat-soluble and water-soluble compounds simultaneously.
- If the sauce tastes overly bitter after mixing, check the age of the chili powder; oxidized capsicum loses fruitiness and leaves behind harsh metallic notes.
- Storing the mixture in an airtight glass container for up to 48 hours in the refrigerator allows the oregano phenols to mellow against the tomato solids.
- Using freshly minced raw garlic instead of powder introduces excess moisture and live enzymes that can sour the batch within hours.
