Maldive fish sweet sambol / Maasi Seeni sambol

Introduction:

Maldive fish sweet sambol/Maasi Seeni sambol is a perfect accompaniment to Appam (hoppers), Idiyappam (string hoppers), bread, chapathi.... Seeni sambol is a combination of sweet, sour and spicy taste in one dish..This is Thoothukudi /Tuticorin style Seeni sambol...Adding coconut milk is purely optional...Seeni sambol can be prepared even without Maldive dish...just skip Maldive dish if you want a vegetarian version of this sambol….

	Cuisine: Srilankan & South-Indian
	Recipe category: Fish, non-veg, sea food
	Prep time: 15 min
	Cooking time: 20 min
	Serves: 3
Ingredients:
Oil	2 tbsp
Cinnamon	3 small pieces
Fennel seeds	1/2 tsp
Few curry leaves
Onions (medium)	4 chopped or sliced
Sugar	1 or 1 and 1/2 tsp
Salt	1/2 tsp
Chilly powder	1 and 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/4 tsp
Maldive fish powder/Maasi powder	1 heaped tbsp
Tamarind juice	1/4 cup
Coconut milk	1/4 cup
Garnish:
Few curry leaves

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan or kadai. When hot add cinnamon, fennel seeds and curry leaves
2. When fennel seeds begin to splutter add chopped or sliced onions. Fry for 1 min and add sugar .Mix it well and close it with a lid
3. Cook 3- 4 min (low flame).stir occasionally. After 4 min the onions will be 3/4 th cooked.
4.  Fry (2 min).Onions begins to caramelize.
5. At this stage add chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt
6. Fry (1 min).Add Maldive fish powder /Maasi powder and fry well (1 min)
7. Add tamarind juice. Simmer (2 min).Add more salt if needed at this stage
8. Add coconut milk and simmer for 2 more min.Garnish with few curry leaves

Notes:

• Instead of chopping onions you can slice it...it gives more texture to the dish