Simple Apricot Duck Sauce - Make it Sweet and Spicy

Simple Apricot Duck Sauce - Make it Sweet and Spicy

Soak the dried apricots in hot water for 15-20 min. Remove from the water (save the soaking water) and dice finely. Transfer to a glass/ceramic bowl along with the soaking water; add the seasonings and microwave on Hi for a couple of minutes. The liquid is almost fully absorbed. When cool, stir in vinegar and sugar. Set aside for 15-20 min for flavors to blend. The relish is now ready to serve. To make duck sauce, cook a slurry of corn starch and water, along with seasonings, till it becomes thick and translucent. Add the prepared relish, stir and set aside to cool. The duck sauce is now ready to serve with your favorite munchies.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Resting time 30

Total Time 1

Course Condiment

Cuisine Chinese, Thai

Servings

Calories 12 kcal

Equipment

Microwave preferred; if not available, can use saucepan on stove-top. See Recipe Notes for details.

Ingredients

10-12 whole Dried apricots - about 1/3 cup also called Jardalu, Zardalu, Khubani, Khurmani; Note: use organic (unsulfured), if you have sulfite sensitivity
1/2 cup Water
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp Dried Ginger powder called Saunth (Saun-th) in Hindi, Suntha (Soon-th-uh) in Marathi; if not available, use 1/2 tsp very finely grated fresh ginger
2 tsp Sugar
2 tbsp Rice Vinegar if not available, use 4 tsp white vinegar + 2 tsp water

To Make Sauce from the Relish

2 tsp Corn starch also called corn flour - the white starch isolated from corn/maize
1 cup Water
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper
4 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Rice Vinegar - optional if you want sauce to be more tart, use as needed to adjust tartness as per preference

Instructions

Wash the dried apricots under running water for a few seconds.
Place the dried apricots, along with 1/2 cup water in a microwave safe glass/ceramic bowl. Microwave for 1 1/2-2 min on Hi. Cover and set aside for 20 min.
Or, cook on the stove-top:
Heat 1/2 up water in a small saucepan, When it come to a boil, add the rinsed apricots, continue to heat till the water begins to boil again. Turn heat off, cover and set aside for 20 min.
The apricots will look swollen and much softer.
Transfer the apricots from the soaking water (save the soaking water) to a cutting board and dice them finely.
About 1/2 cup diced apricots.
Transfer the diced apricots back to the bowl with the saved soaking water.
Add the seasonings (ginger, crushed red pepper and salt).
Microwave on low-medium power (power level 4; 40% power) for 5-6 min. Do not cook on full power.
Or, cook on the stove-top:
Heat the seasoned mixture in a small saucepan on low-medium heat. When it come to a boil, decrease the heat to the lowest setting. Cover and continue to cook for another 3-4 min. Watch carefully, runa spatula under the bottom so it doesn't burn. Turn heat off, cover and set aside for 20 min.
The liquid is almost fully absorbed. Set aside to cool for 3-4 minutes.
When cool, stir in vinegar and sugar. Set aside for 15-20 min for flavors to blend.
The apricot relish is now ready to serve. Yields about 1/2 cup relish
Note: if you want a more spicy relish, add more crushed red pepper along with the vinegar and sugar, before setting aside
Serve as a side dish with an Indian themed meal, or with bagels and cream cheese, or with crackers, etc.
Quantity: 1/2 cup relish is enough for 4-6 servings (1 1/2 - 2 tbsp per serving)
To make duck sauce:
First, prepare a slurry of corn starch and water.
Add the seasonings and cook with constant stirring till it it becomes thick and translucent.
On stove-top: takes 4-5 min
Cook in a small saucepan on on low-medium heat, with continuous stirring to prevent lumps and/or sticking and burning on the bottom.
In the microwave: takes 2-3 min
Cook in glass/ceramic bowl; mix well, set the microwave for 2 min on hi;
Start, then pause after 15-20 seconds: stir and break up any lumps that start to form on the edges; continue heating for another 15-20 seconds and pause again, to repeat the stirring and breaking up of lumps. Continue, until the 2 min cycle is done.
By the end of the 2 min cycle, it should be almost cooked: the mixture should look thick and translucent - see the picture.
Taste-test a little - 2-3 drops on a spoon. If it tastes raw, like uncooked cornstarch, continue to microwave for another 30-40 seconds if needed to completely finish cooking.
Add the prepared relish, stir and set aside to cool.
The duck sauce is now ready to serve: the recipe yields about 1 1/2 cups duck sauce (about 24 tbsp).
This is enough for about 12 servings, 2 tbsp per serving.
Serve as a dipping sauce with your favorite munchies: egg rolls, pot-stickers, fried tofu, corn patties, tempura and the like, but that's not all!
It's also great with munchies from various other cuisines - Mozzarella sticks, Onion rings, Batter-fried mushrooms, Pakodas, Samosas, Kachoris, etc.
Shown here with corn patties in one picture and and vegetable egg rolls in the other picture.
Enjoy!

Notes

Unsulfured Dried apricots :

Some varieties may look smaller than the more moist, golden-colored dried apricots. others are dark brown, but otherwise very similar in appearance to the sulfured dried orange apricots
- Measure out about 1/3 cup or so, to make this relish/sauce.
They sometimes are dried with their seeds still inside them.
- Be sure to remove the seeds before you slice and dice the soaked apricots.
If they look too dry, they may simply need longer soaking time - up to an hour, maybe.
- Check to see if you can dice them easily. If not, let them soak a little longer.

To Store:

In refrigerator:

Store relish and/or duck sauce in glass/ceramic jars- I do not recommend using plastic containers.
Consume within a week or so.
To serve: warm to room temp first by letting it sit on the counter for 15-20 min, then stir well and serve.

In freezer:

Store relish and/or duck sauce in small, 1/2 cup sized glass/ceramic jars storage containers -
- I do not recommend using plastic containers.
- I also recommend pre-measuring: 1/2 cup portions in shallow containers preferred. This way, you can take out as many or as few as you need.
Should be good for 2 months or possibly longer.
To serve: warm to room temp first by letting it sit on the counter for 15-20 min, then
- Warm in the storage container the microwave for 20 seconds, stir well and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbspCalories: 12kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 100mgPotassium: 12mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 55IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Dipping sauce, Dried Apricots, Ginger powder, Sweet and Spicy

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