Use a mortar and pestle and start by adding in the mortar the chopped garlic and onion along with the salt. Pound well with a circular motion but not to a paste as you want small bits of garlic to be left there.

Add the fennel seeds to be pound and crushed in order to release their natural flavourful and aromatic oils.

Add the chilies and continue the crushing.

Then it’s time for the tomatoes, to be mashed as much as you desire. I like to have a bit of feel of the tomatoes.

Finally pour the olive oil and lemon juice and toss. It should eventually reach a salsa-like consistency with bits of the ingredients.

Serve with Arabic Pitta bread on the side for dipping, or with toasted slices of rustic bread.