Aji De Tomate De árbol - Tree Tomato Hot Sauce

ThatSouthernBelle's Note:

I'm a little obsessed with the possibility of moving to Ecuador. This is a recipe using the tree tomato which looks like a roma tomato, but pointier. From: http://laylita.com/recipes/2008/03/10/tree-tomato-aji/

• Total Time: 8 mins
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 5 fresh tree tomatoes (tamarillo) or 5 frozen tree tomatoes (tamarillo)
• 2 aji bell peppers (serranos or red chilies or habaneros) or 2 hot peppers (serranos or red chilies or habaneros)
• 2 tablespoons white onions , finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon cilantro , finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice or 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ cup water
• salt

Directions:

1. If using fresh tree tomatoes peel them, boil them for about 5 minutes to make it easier to peel them.
2. If using frozen tree tomatoes, defrost them over night in the fridge, then cut them in half and scoop out all the insides.
3. Blend the tree tomatoes with the hot peppers (seeded and deveined if you want it very mild, you can always save a few seeds and add them in if it’s too mild).
4. Transfer the blended mix of tree tomatoes and hot peppers to a small sauce pan, add the water (you can add more if you want a more liquid sauce) and cook on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes.
5. Add the onion, lime juice, cilantro and salt to taste.
6. Serve warm or cold.