INGREDIENTS:
500g onions – sliced
100g Maldive fish – small pieces
50g tamarind
4 cloves garlic – finally chopped
1 inch ginger root – finally chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon dry red chili pieces (optional)
1 x 5cm cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods - split
6 cloves – crushed
6 curry leaves
4 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
6 tablespoons water
salt – to taste

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl mix tamarind & water together and make a thick paste, and keep it in aside.
Then in a large bowl mix all the ingredients (onions, Maldive fish, garlic, ginger, chili powder, red chili pieces, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and cloves) well, except Curry leaves, sugar, vegetable oil and lime juice. Now cover it and leave it for at least 15-20mins.
Heat the oil in a large pan in medium heat. Firstly add curry leaves and fry it for 1 minute. Then add the onion mixer and fry it for nearly 10 – 15 minutes, stir continuosly.
When the onions are getting brown and the same time you’ll feel a nice smell too. On that time reduce the heat to low, and add the tamarind paste and stir the mixer well. Then add sugar and again stir the mixer. Off the heat and finally add the lime juice and again stir it.
Taste for salt.
In the end you should get a nice dark brown mixer.

SERVING:
Best are rice, bread, hoppers, string hoppers and noodles. But you can have it with your favorites also.

NOTE:
1. If you can find shallots, it is the best with the taste and also when you are cooking water won’t come from that.
2. If you can’t find Maldive fish, you can use dry dry prawns or shrimp also.
3. If you can find coconut oil for frying, that’s the best.

Enjoy!!!