Sri lankan seeni sambol(spicy caramalized onion relish)

Step 1

Heat a pan that is enough to hold the 1-2 kg of chopped onions.

Step 3

Keep the heat low and pour in the oil(5 tbs).

Step 5

Add curry leaves(5-6), cinnamon(1-inch piece), cardamoms(5 pods), pandan leaf(2-inch piece)and red chilli powder.

Step 7

Cook the ingredients for 1- minutes over low fire.

Step 9

Add the chopped Onion to the spice mix and stir gently to combine all the ingredients.

Step 11

keep the heat steady while making sure the Onions don’t burn and continue to cook the onions.

Step 13

Make sure to constantly stir to avoid the onions sticking to the pan.

Step 15

Leave the onions to cook to all the 4 stages shown above and when the onions have changed to a deeper brown add the tamarind juice(3 tbs, if using tamarind paste use only 1 teaspoon) and sugar(2 tbs).

Step 17

Stir to combine well and season with salt.

Step 19

Cook down the onions over low heat for another 3-5 minutes, check for seasoning and taste.

Step 21

Once done, remove the pan from the stove and let the seeni sambol(onion chutney)cool completely.

Step 23

Meanwhile, have a dry glass bottle ready.

Step 25

Once the sweet and spicy onion chutney is cool, spoon it into the bottle and refrigerate.

Step 27

When you need to use this sweet and spicy Seeni sambol, take a few tablespoons and microwave it for a few seconds.

Step 29

Make sure to always use a dry spoon.