Indian Pickled Onion

For this recipe, I’m keeping it simple and making pickled onion the Indian way, a delightful bite of crispness generally served with Kathi roll wraps, Indian grills, and curries. Think of pickled onions as occupying the same place of pride in an Indian meal as pickled cucumber, generally just called a pickle, the sweet-sour crunchy bite served with most sandwiches and burgers in western countries.

I generally land up using shallots or pearl onion, whichever one I can lay my hands on at the time. In a pinch, feel free to use sliced red onion if you can’t find a small onion variety. The onion is pickled in a pickling liquid made with spices, vinegar, and sweetness from brown sugar. Often seen at ethnic restaurants, these spicy tangy bites add an amazing flavor to any meal, especially while serving Indian tikka and kebab.