Asian seasoning paste

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 3 m.-sized onion(s)
• 2 garlic bulbs
• 1 piece(s) ginger root, approx. thumb-sized
• 125 ml balsamic vinegar
• 150 ml fish sauce
• 150 ml soy sauce
• 200 g chili paste, e.g. Sambal Oelek or to taste
• 100 ml sunflower oil for frying
• 100 g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil, toasted

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Finely chop the onions, garlic, and ginger. In a measuring jug, combine the balsamic vinegar, fish sauce, soy sauce, and chili paste. Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry the onions, garlic, and ginger for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Stir in the brown sugar and let it caramelize briefly. Then immediately deglaze with the mixture of the liquid ingredients. Let the paste simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the desired consistency is reached (for me, this takes about 20 minutes). Finally, drizzle with the toasted sesame oil and pour the paste into a clean jar. Note: Makes about 500 ml and keeps well in the refrigerator. The paste is perfect for livening up fried noodles or rice, as well as vegetable stir-fries and wok dishes. Simply scoop out a little of the paste according to taste and portion size (I always use a good tablespoon for 1-2 portions) and mix it into the dish at the end.