Seeni Sambal or as some people call it sambol: is a very famous Caramelized onion relish that the Sri lankan cuisine boasts. It is a versatile dish; that has a combination of sweetness, sourness and spiciness all included in one dish. It can be enjoyed as a side with a Toast, or a Coconut Roti; or with some warm Rice. If you fancy it: you can even have it on your Burger too.

Whether you have too much onion lying around in your pantry, or you want to get creative with your condiments for the upcoming grilling season: I have you covered.

The Ingredients are pretty basic at a glance. You might already have most of them at home; but there is one key ingredient that may be a bit hard to find. That is the main sour enhancer for the dish: Goraka (dried Brindle berry). If you do not have that wonder at hand, you can use Tamarind instead. You will only need to make a little paste out of either one, but a little extra will make the relish a tangy-special.

Traditionally, this dish calls for dried Maldive fish (cured Tuna). But, today I am sharing a vegan version of the Seeni sambal. But if you have some dried Maldive fish handy, simply add it with the onion mixture while cooking, and you will have a flavor of the sea in your dish.

Seeni Sambal / Caramelized Onion Relish

Serves 6-8 | Prep Time 15 mins | Cook time 30 mins

Ingredients:

• 10 medium size Onions
• 2 tablespoon dried Chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon Cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom pods
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 1/4 cup Goraka (or Tamarind) paste
• 5 Curry leaves
• 1 inch Pandan Leaf
• 2 tablespoon Oil
• 1-2 tablespoon Sugar
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the Goraka (or Tamarind) in water, make a paste and set aside.
• Slice the Onion into thin slices and mix the salt, Goraka (or Tamarind) paste and keep aside.
• In a non-stick pan: heat the oil.
• Add Cloves, Caradamom, Cinnamon, Curry leaves, Pandan leaf into the oil and saute for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the Onion mixture to the oil and mix well. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes while stirring in between.
• When the Onions turns shiny and translucent: add the Chili flakes and mix well until all ingredients incorporate.
• Once the Onion starts turning to a darker color, add Sugar, and Salt to your taste.

Notes:

• Slicing the onion thin is a key here, as this will enable even cooking of the Onion.
• To make the Goraka or Tamarind paste, soak them in lukewarm water and squish it up with your hand to get all the pulp dissolved.
• If you use Tamarind for this: the end result will be more of a brown colored relish; if you use Goraka, the relish is going to be a dark brown.
• Feel free to adjust Sugar and Chili flakes based on how intense you want the relish to taste.