Salsa Roja

"If I had to name one product that is most characteristic of the entire Mexican cuisine, I would say 'chili.' And I would probably stir up native Mexicans by saying that because for Mexican cuisine, 'chili' is like snow for Eskimos or Laplanders.

INGREDIENTS: 1 can of tomatoes or equivalent amount of fresh tomatoes 1 habanero pepper 1 medium onion, 40-50g 2 cloves of garlic 1/3 teaspoon of salt 1.2-1 teaspoon of sugar Juice of 1 lime 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro leaves"

PREPARATION METHOD: Cut the Habanero pepper in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Peel the garlic and onions, and cut the onion in half. Heat a dry pan and place the garlic, onion, and Habanero on it. It is important that only the outer part of the Habanero pepper touches the pan. Roast until dark brown, turning occasionally, so that they brown as much as possible on a large surface.

We take the vegetables off the pan and leave them to cool for a few minutes. We add them to the tomatoes, along with salt, sugar, lime juice, and blend. Finally, we add cilantro and blend for a while, just a few seconds, so that there are visible green cilantro pieces in the salsa.

NOTES: If you have a gas stove, you can char the onion, garlic, and Habanero pepper (whole) over the flame. Salsa made according to this recipe with Habanero pepper is really spicy. Of course, you can use less spicy peppers, or on the contrary, even spicier ones.

SERVING: Salsa Roja is a traditional addition to burritos and tacos. For burritos, the salsa is served separately and the end of the burrito is dipped in the salsa or the salsa is spooned on top while eating.

There are 180 words for snow and ice in the Sami languages. In Mexico, there are dozens of varieties of chili peppers, taking into account that fresh is different from dried, and smoked is different from both. Chipotle, which is smoked, dried jalapeno, is my favorite. Marinated in a special adobo sauce, it is very spicy and smoky, and it is an ingredient in my favorite chipotle mayo. Maybe someday I will share the recipe (although chipotle in adobo is not the cheapest or easiest to find ingredient). For now, if you want to try salsa and chipotle mayo as they should be, to have a reference, a taste model, visit  or order from Momencik on Poznańska. Say hello to them from me. And if you don't live in Warsaw, make sure to include this restaurant in your travel plans when you come to the capital.