Mango & Chilli Sauce

This simple, versatile recipe is another one that I've been meaning to post for quite a while. It's a sweet and spicy sauce that gives you both colour and powerful flavour. It's based, pretty loosely, on a barbecue sauce that Peter Gordon made back in the London Sugar Club days.

The sauce will work well with fresh, frozen or even canned mango but there's likely to be a big difference in the sweetness that each type of mango brings to the sauce, so taste and adjust the acidity as you see fit. It's a very forgiving concoction, so vary the spices and the amount of chilli as you fancy.

The sauce is good with most simple meat suppers, like burgers, sausages, pork and venison. But it will also liven up leftovers and veg, including winter root veg. Use the sauce to baste during cooking and serve the warmed sauce over or alongside your chosen main ingredient. You could also try it cold as an alternative to the usual ketchup or chilli sauce.

In theory, this makes enough for at least 4 portions, but that depends on how much you're longing for that touch of heat.

400g (or thereabouts) mango flesh 
2 chillies, seeds removed and roughly chopped
1 small onion, peeled and cut into chunks
125ml white or red wine vinegar
4 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp smoked paprika (sweet or hot, whichever you prefer)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lime
160g light brown soft sugar

Put all the ingredients except the sugar into a blender and wizz until smooth.

Pour into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the sugar, stir well and simmer until the sauce has thickened to your linking. Check that the flavour is as you'd like it to be. Although this is intended to be sweet and spicy, add some lemon juice and/or a little wine vinegar if you feel it needs a bit more acidity. 

This will keep well for a few days in the fridge but, for longer storage, it's best to freeze it.