Sirka Pyaz (Indian Pickled Vinegar Onions)

Sirka Pyaz (Indian Pickled Vinegar Onions) is an Indian condiment that is a great accompaniment to any North Indian-style meal. Here is how to make it at home.

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• About Indian Vinegar Onions
• Ingredients
• How To Make Sirka Pyaz
• Serving Suggestions
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• Recipe Card

About Indian Vinegar Onions

Sirka Pyaz (Indian Pickled Vinegar Onions) is a popular Indian condiment that is served with North Indian meals. It is basically crunchy pearl onions dipped in a mixture of vinegar, water, salt, and sugar.

Sirka pyaj has a nice red color and a salty tangy sour taste that goes perfectly with Indian cuisine.

If you go to any North Indian restaurant, you will be served these sirke wala pyaaz along with other condiments like pickles and chutneys.

Making a restaurant-style sirka pyaz recipe at home is very easy and it comes together in just 10 minutes of active working time using simple ingredients.

This Indian vinegar onion recipe can be easily doubled or tripled if you are making it for a crowd.

Here are some more Indian condiments that you might like

• Green Chutney
• Chunda
• Mango Pickle
• Dahi Chutney
• Green Chili Pickle
• Hari Mirch Ke Tipore

Ingredients

Pearl Onions – Sirkaa Wale Pyaz are usually made using small pearl onions (baby onions) but if you don’t get them easily, then cut regular onions into small chunks and use them in the recipe.

Beetroot – Beetroot is totally optional but it gives a lovely pink hue to the onions.

Vinegar – Use regular white vinegar to pickle the onions. You can replace white vinegar with apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or rice vinegar for a taste change.

Sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar can also be used.

Others – You will also need granulated white sugar, salt, and whole spices like green cardamoms (hari elaichi), black cardamons (badi elaichi), cinnamon (dalchini), and cloves (laung) to make sirke wale pyaaz recipe.

You can also add peeled garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, black peppercorns, yellow mustard seeds, etc to the pickling liquid.

How To Make Sirka Pyaz

Add

• ½ cup water
• 1-2 teaspoon finely cubed beetroot
• 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
• 2-3 cloves
• 1-2 green cardamoms
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick
• 1 black cardamom

to a saucepan.

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for 2-3 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and cool the mixture.

Add 1 cup peeled and washed pearl onions to a non-reactive jar (a glass jar is preferable).

Pour 1 cup white vinegar, 2 teaspoon salt, and the water mixture that you made earlier over the onions and stir gently.

Cover the jar with a lid and refrigerate it. Use the onions after 24 hours for up to 10 days.

Tip – Once the vinegar onions are over, you can add more onions to the same liquid 2-3 times before discarding it.

Serving Suggestions

Serve sirke wale pyaz chilled or at room temperature along with any Indian meal.

I like to serve pickled crunchy onions with rich curry dishes like Dal Tadka, Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Dal Makhani, Paneer Butter Masala, etc.

You can add vinegar onions to your cheese boards.

The leftover pickling liquid can be used as a salad dressing.

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