How adventurous are you with condiments? Have you ever had kasoundi? It’s spicy and earthy, made with mustard and chilli, tomatoes, garlic and ginger. Let me tell you: I love it.
Many, many years ago I lived in a share house with Mike, whose Mum was a fabulous cook. After one of his regular visits to his parents’ place in Melbourne, Mike arrived back in Wagga with this little gem. I knew nothing about kasoundi up until that point.
It was divine; we had it with roasted meat, grilled steak, many varieties of sausages (my partner has a sausage obsession – but that’s another story). Then we moved onto the curries. Meals were regularly based around the question “What goes with kasoundi?” We’ve moved on a bit from there, but we still think it’s delicious.
Generously, his Mum shared the recipe with us, and here, I share it with you.
Mike’s Mum’s tomato kasoundi
100g mustard seed
100g turneric
100g cumin
100g dried chillies
500g garlic
500g ginger
250ml oil
500ml malt vinegar
2.5kgs tomatoes
3-4 tspns salt to taste
2 tspns sugar (depending on tomatoes)
Chop ginger and garlic in the food processor; add spices to blend. Fry mixture for 1 minute in the oil. Chop tomatoes in the food processor, add to pot with vinegar. Cook over a very low heat 1 hour; store in sterilised bottles.
I received some home-made Tomato Kasoundi. I have NO idea what to do with it. You mention with sausages. Do I use it like tomato sauce?
Hi Clare,
It’s mustardy, tomato-y and a bit spicy hot; it goes well with barbecued meats. Try a small spoonful on your plate next to your meat, and use to taste. Bon appetit!
Hi. When simmering do you cover the pan or leave it open? Cheers
Over a low heat, and yes, cover the pan – keep the moisture in. It will thicken over the cooking time. Towards the end, you can take the lid off and let it reduce if you need.
Is it really 500g of garlic? & ginger? That’s seems excessive. Is it a typo?
YES Kelly!! No it’s not a typo, that is the correct amount – there’s a lot of tomato and other things in there too, so it all works together. You might want to start with a half batch to see if it’s to your taste?
Have fun with it, and let me know what you think!
Julie 🙂
I love a bit of spice and this sounds yummy. Many thanks to Mike’s mum for sharing her recipe.