Kuwaiti Tomato Sauce (Dukkous Al-Tamat)

This is delicious served with rice dishes as a sauce or it can be used in other tomato sauce ways such as adding seasoned cooked ground beef and serving over pasta like I do as well. Modified from The Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 6 cups geuss

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  oil
• 4 -6  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 1⁄2 lbs  ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or as I do, plain canned tomatoes, sauce consistency)
•  salt
•  brown sugar, to taste (if using canned tomato sauce)
• 1  teaspoon  bahrat mixed spice (Baharat Aka Middle East Mixed Spices - the Real Mix)
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons tomato paste, if using canned sauce

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan and add crushed garlic, cook for only a few seconds.
2. Add tomato paste if not using fresh tomatoes and saute for about 30 seconds (This will give a pleasant depth to its taste and help get rid of the raw metallic taste.).
3. Add fresh tomatoes if using and sea salt to taste or canned sauce which may not need any sea salt at all. Add sugar if wished. (I find it helps canned tomato sauce taste better).
4. Cover and leave to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Add bahrat, cook with lid off for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.
6. Serve with rice dishes.
7. Sauce may be stored in a sealed jar in the refridgerator and heated as required.