Sliced onions are a common accompaniment to a lot of North Indian dishes. You will see slices of onion served alongside street-food dishes like Chole Bhature or served with grilled dishes like Tandoori Chicken etc.
This recipe for quick pickled onions takes the raw and pungent edge off the onions and makes them delectable to eat. They add some crunch, sweetness and freshness to any dish they are served with and another dimension to your main dish. They are a must-have accompaniment for dishes like Rajma Chawal or Dal Makhani and go well with any dal.
- 150g red onions
- 30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder or gochugaru or mild chilli flakes
- Peel and cut the onion in half pole to pole (along the natural grain of the onion).
- Slice the onions into 1/2 cm slices.
- Add the onion slices to a bowl and separate the slivers as best you can.
- Add the lemon juice, sugar and chilli powder (if using) to the bowl.
- Toss the onions slices in the seasonings till they are coated and everything is well combined.
- Set aside and let the citrus do it's magic for 15 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy with your next Indian meal.
Variations - There are many variations to this recipe that you could experiment with for example with adding a chopped green chilli instead of red chili powder or you could try pickling with vinegar or lime instead of lemon juice. It's important however to use a variety of onion that is sweet and has a relatively low sulphur content. Yellow onions for example aren't the best choice for this process due to their pungent nature and high sulphur content.