Da’Ah Sauce Recipe (Daqqa Garlic Vinegar Sauce)
Learn how to make vibrant Da’Ah Sauce, the bold finishing touch for koshari, in just 10 minutes with garlic, cumin, vinegar, and citrus.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 finely minced cloves of garlic
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, optional
- ½ cup vinegar
- ½ cup water
- Juice of ½ lemon, about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a small saucepot over low to medium heat, add the olive oil.
- Next, stir in the garlic, season with salt, and cook for about 30 to 45 seconds, or until fragrant. Do not brown it.
- Next, add in the optional cumin, vinegar, and water, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Finish with lemon juice.
- Serve or store in an airtight container for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
Whatever you do, do NOT burn the garlic. I only cook the garlic until the wonderful aromas rise from the pot and the pieces look slightly golden. Burnt garlic is a big N.O. because it will turn the sauce bitter and ruin its balance.
Finely mince the garlic: I want the pieces to almost dissolve and meld into the sauce, so I finely mince each clove with a knife or grate them with a microplane.
Toast whole spices: I highly recommend swapping the ground cumin for whole cumin seeds. They’re so much more flavorful, especially when lightly toasted in a dry pan. The seeds are also easy to crush with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.
Give it a kick: When I’m craving koshari with a kick, I’ll bloom a pinch of red chili flakes or add a finely diced bird’s eye chili to the oil along with the garlic.
Make-Ahead: I always make this sauce at least 1 hour in advance to give the garlic and cumin time to fully infuse into the vinegar and water.
How to Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. Before serving, give it a good shake since the spices and garlic tend to settle at the bottom.
Nutrition
Calories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 13mgPotassium: 84mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 8IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 1mg