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Seeni Sambol (Sweet Onion Relish)

Name: Seeni Sambol (Sweet Onion Relish)
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Sri Lanka
Ingredients: 4 Red Onion; 2 Red Chili Pepper; 1 stick Cinnamon Stick; 6 leaves Curry Leaves; 2 tbsp Sugar; 1/2 Lime; 1/2 tsp Salt

Side Dish

⏱ 40 min

👥 Serves 4

Difficulty ⭐⭐

Onions slow-cooked into a sweet-spicy jam — Sri Lanka's all-purpose onion relish.

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📖 The Story Behind This Dish

Onions cooked low and slow until deeply caramelized, then finished sweet and spicy with chili and sugar. It pairs with hoppers, bread, or rice, and many households keep a jar of it on hand.

🌆 Where it's eaten: Spooned alongside breakfast hoppers or bread, or added as a topping for rice.

🥕 Ingredients (serves 4)

Red Onion 4
Red Chili Pepper 2
Cinnamon Stick 1 stick
Curry Leaves 6 leaves
Sugar 2 tbsp
Lime 1/2
Salt 1/2 tsp

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Slice the red onion thin. Thinly slice the red chili.
Heat oil in a pot and fry the cinnamon stick and curry leaves until fragrant.
Add the onion and cook slowly over low heat for 20–25 minutes until deeply caramelized.
Add the red chili, sugar, and salt, and mix well.
Continue cooking until the moisture reduces to a jam-like consistency.
Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice to finish.

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