Sirke Wale Pyaaz (Restaurant-Style Indian Pickled Onions)
Sirke Wale Pyaaz (Indian Pickled Onions) is an Indian condiment that is a great accompaniment to any North Indian-style meal. Here is how to make it at home.
Servings: 10 people
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- 1-2 teaspoon finely cubed beetroot
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 2-3 cloves (laung)
- 1-2 whole green cardamoms (hari elaichi)
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick (dalchini)
- 1 whole black cardamom (badi elaichi)
- 1 cup peeled pearl onions (baby onions)
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Use a paring knife to make a shallow cross-cut on the shoot end of the peeled pearl onions, the side opposite the root. Cut only halfway through; you want the onion to stay whole. This slit allows brine to penetrate all the way to the center. Rinse the peeled onions with water and set aside.
- Add water, beetroot, sugar, cloves, green cardamoms, cinnamon stick, and 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. The water will turn a deep, jewel-red from the beetroot. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool.
- Add 1 cup of peeled and washed pearl onions to a jar.
- Pour the white vinegar, salt, and the water mixture you made earlier over the onions and stir gently. Make sure every onion is fully submerged. If not, top up with a little extra vinegar.
- Cover the jar with its lid and refrigerate. Use the onions after 24 hours for up to 10 days. At the 24-hour mark, the onions will be pink, tangy, and crunchy. They keep tasting better as the days go on.
Never pour hot brine over the onions; it cooks them and destroys the crunch.
Use a non-reactive jar (referable glass). Avoid plastic, copper, and aluminum; vinegar reacts with these metals and can affect both taste and safety.
Video
Notes
Once one batch of vinegar onions is over, you can add more onions to the same liquid 2-3 times.
Nutrition
Calories: 9kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Sodium: 466mg | Potassium: 4mg | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
