Marinara sauce (Pizza/pasta sauce) with powdered sesame seeds

A few weeks back, me and my husband had pasta in a nearby restaurant and after tasting their pasta, we realized that it was the best pasta sauce we ever ate. It was truly divine..!! It was savory, tangy and very soothing to the palate. Since that day I have been trying various versions of marinara sauce to decode that wonderful recipe. I added cream, yogurt, mango powder/amchur but nothing really was close to the taste that we got in that restaurant. On one such trial, I added sesame seed powder and it was a success..!! The taste is very close to what we wanted and I was so happy to arrive at my version of marinara sauce. So, friends here is the recipe for you all. I really hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients:
Tomato – 2 cups (roughly chopped)
Sesame seeds – 1/8 cup
Onion – ¼ cup (roughly chopped)
Garlic cloves – 2 or 3
Tamarind pulp/juice/extract – 2 tbsp
Bay leaf – 1 big
Basil leaves/Dried basil – 1 tbsp, optional (I used dried basil)
Italian seasoning/mixed herbs – ½ tbsp (I used mixed herbs)
Salt – to taste
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Dry roast the sesame seeds a bit till they turn slightly golden brown in color.
2. Let it cool and grind it to a fine powder. Keep aside.
3. Heat a pan with oil and add the garlic and bay leaf. Fry for a minute.
4. Add the onions and fry till they turn translucent.
5. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper and let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes till the tomatoes are completely cooked.
6. Remove from heat and let it cool.
7. Grind the cooled tomato mixture along with the previously powdered sesame and tamarind pulp.
8. Pour this into the same pan and add the herbs of your choice. I added dried basil and mixed herbs-rosemary, oregano, thyme.
9. Let this simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Add some salt and pepper if required.
10. Your tangy and savory marinara sauce is ready. You may use this for pastas, pizzas and as dip for any bread.

Note:

1. You may add some cream to the sauce when you simmer it with the herbs.
2. Sesame seed is optional but I recommend you to add it. Sesame seed powder adds a savory taste to the sauce which I personally loved a lot.
3. If you want regular marinara/pizza sauce, just avoid the sesame seeds from above process.
4. Add a tbsp of sugar if the sauce is too tangy.

Related Images: