Crispy Fried Onions – Indian Style
I don’t really know what to call this as I’ve heard it being given all kinds of names. Presumably it’s something which varies between dialects. In English I reckon ‘Crispy Fried Onions’ is as descriptive as I can get it.
Nor is it accurate to describe it as a garnish because it adds so much more than that implies. I serve it when I make Khichdi, Biryani and the Anglo-Indian Kedgeree. If you happen to have a stash in your freezer, it’s lovely on any kind of topped spicy flatbread.
I will confess it’s a bit of a labour of love. That’s the bad news. The good news is you can do it when you have the time and the inclination since it freezes perfectly. Since the cooking of it does take a while it’s worth making in bulk.
First, peel and slice the red onions. Thinly. That’s important. As thin as you can get it. Take your time (use a sharp knife) and comfort yourself with the thought other people pay to go on courses to work on their knife skills.
By the time I’d prepared my onions I was left with a little under 1.5 kg. (1.429kg if you want it exact ..! I don’t normally weigh it. Just a big pyrex bowl full.)
The secret to good fried onions, I think, is to use enough oil. For my quantity of onions I used 750ml (roughly 3 cups) and I use the same sauté pan I use for risotto. Heat the oil until it’s hot enough to fizz when you lower an onion crescent in.
Then, in with the rest of the onions. Keep the heat on high and stir constantly. This stage takes about ten minutes. (I don’t add any salt, now or at any stage. Although salt does encourage the onions to crisp up, I find it doesn’t store as well as if I don’t use it.)
Separate out all the onion crescents and keep stirring.
After ten minutes, turn the heat down to somewhere between medium to low. From now on it needs a little less babysitting. You do need to keep an eye on it and give it all an occasional stir.
After twenty minutes cooking time my onions look like this.
A further ten. Give it another stir to make sure nothing is catching on the bottom of your pan.
Another ten minutes.
50 minutes. Keep an eye on it now as it goes suddenly.
This was just over the hour. It’s now ready to drain.
Place a large bowl on a heatproof mat and drain the onions in a sieve over it.
The fried onions now need to crisp up. Lay them out on absorbent kitchen towel placed over large baking sheets. I separate out the strands with a couple of forks. Leave to dry for 10 minutes.
It’s now ready to use. When the 10 minutes are up pop them in a sealed container. Store in the freezer. There’s no need to portion as you can use it straight from the box.
It’s lovely. Eat.
Crispy Fried Onions – Indian Style
- Red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (1.5kg once prepared)
- 750ml sunflower oil (approximately 3 cups)
Heat the oil in a wide and deep sauté pan until it fizzes when a sliced crescent of onion is lowered in. Add the rest of the onions.
Stir constantly over a high heat for ten minutes.
Lower the temperature to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally. It takes between 50 minutes to an hour until the onions are cooked to a deep golden colour.
Set a large sieve over a bowl and drain the onions.
Line two large baking trays with paper kitchen towel and spread out the onions using two forks. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a sealed container and store in the freezer.
Eat.