Sweet Onion Sauce (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Main Components
01 -
1 medium sweet onion (Vidalia, Walla Walla, or yellow onion work great)
02 -
2 fresh garlic cloves
03 -
1 cup cold filtered water, divided (¾ cup + ¼ cup)
→ Flavor Base
04 -
⅓ cup granulated sugar
05 -
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
06 -
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
07 -
¼ teaspoon salt, or adjust to taste
08 -
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
→ Finishing Touches
09 -
¼ teaspoon nigella seeds (kalonji) - optional but adds nice flavor
10 -
2 teaspoons cornstarch for thickening
11 -
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
# Instructions:
01 -
Peel your onion and garlic, then roughly chop them up. Toss everything into a blender and blend until you get a smooth mixture. Strain this through a muslin cloth or fine mesh strainer to extract just the juice, then pour it into your cooking pot.
02 -
Heat up your pan and add the onion-garlic juice along with ¾ cup water, sugar, salt, both vinegars, black pepper, and nigella seeds if you're using them. Bring this beautiful mixture to a rolling boil, stirring until all that sugar completely dissolves.
03 -
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup water with the cornstarch until you have a smooth, lump-free slurry. This is your secret weapon for getting that perfect sauce consistency.
04 -
Pour your cornstarch slurry into the simmering sauce and keep stirring continuously over medium heat. Watch as it transforms into a glossy, thick sauce that coats your spoon beautifully - this usually takes just a few minutes.
05 -
Remove the pot from heat and stir in that fresh lemon juice for a bright finish. Let the sauce cool completely to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until you're ready to enjoy it.
# Notes:
01 -
This sauce tastes even better after sitting in the fridge overnight - the flavors really meld together beautifully.
02 -
Feel free to adjust the sweetness and seasoning to match your taste preferences. Everyone's palate is different!
03 -
If you can't find nigella seeds, don't worry - the sauce is still delicious without them. They just add a subtle oregano-onion flavor that's quite nice.
04 -
You can substitute brown sugar for granulated sugar if you prefer a slightly deeper flavor profile.