Hong Kong Café Tomato Sauce 茶餐廳螢光番茄汁
This recipe makes approximately 500ml sauce. It should be enough for 4 people with each getting ½ cup of sauce. However, for pasta dishes, you may need more sauce per person.
Approximate cost (CAD) $3
Ingredients
- 4 cloves Garlic , chopped
- 1 Large shallot , chopped
- 1 Medium onion , fine sliced
- 2 Medium tomatoes , slice into small wedges
- 4 tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 500 ml Water
- 2 tbsp Butter (30g)
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp Oil
Instructions
- Chop garlic and shallots
- Slice tomatoes and onions
- Make roux paste by combining 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp flour. Mix well until you form a paste
You can also use pork fat or vegetable oil to replace the butter. Alternatively, you can make a corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce but the sauce won’t look as glossy 
- On medium heat, add 2 tbsp oil and sauté the chopped shallots and garlic until aromatic
- Add onions. Fry until slightly softened
- Add 4 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp ketchup, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Mix well
- Add 500 ml water and bring sauce to a boil. Put the heat on high. Add tomatoes and let the sauce boil again
- Reduce heat to low. Add the roux paste and stir until sauce thickens and cook for another 5 minutes to make sure that the flour is fully cooked
- Taste test and add 1 tsp salt if necessary. Add water if you want to thin it and more roux paste if you want it thicker. Add white vinegar to make it tangier
- Serve with rice or pasta
