Family favorite
- Carbohydrate 16.3879804161402 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.509260833333333 g
- Fiber 3.46829164565026 g
- Protein 2.84171499997682 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0691870833333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (180g)
- Sodium 37.7224583332723 mg
- Sugar 12.91968877049 g
- Trans Fat 0.138862333333333 g
- Calories 71 calories
Step-by-step
- Put onions, garlic and peppers in work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade.
- Process with 4 to 5 pulses to finley chop.
- Add tomatoes, lemon juice, salt, cumin; Pulse 4 to 5 time till finely chopped.
- Stir in tomato puree.
- Let stand 30 minutes before serving.
Raw aromatics and fresh acids behave entirely differently when processed through a mechanical blade compared to manual dicing. The recipe omits the chemical reality of raw garlic hitting a stainless steel food processor blade, which can rupture cell walls aggressively and release harsh allicin compounds if over-processed. Keeping the pulse count strictly to four or five ensures the ingredients retain structural integrity rather than turning into an undesirable puree.
Controlling Texture and Moisture
Jalapeños and tomatoes carry immense water weight. Seeding the tomatoes and removing the pepper stems eliminates excess liquid that would otherwise dilute the tomato puree and separate on the plate. Pulse the hard aromatics first to establish a uniform particle size before introducing the softer tomatoes, which break down rapidly under friction. Allowing the mixture to rest for thirty minutes is mandatory because it gives the salt time to draw out excess moisture and allows the ground cumin to hydrate properly in the juices.
- Swapping fresh lemon juice for bottled citrus introduces pasteurized bitterness that overpowers the fresh peppers.
- Skipping the resting period leaves the cumin tasting dusty and distinct from the tomato base.
- Over-processing the batch past five pulses transforms a chunky relish into a thin smoothie.
