BABY ONION SALAN

BABY ONION SALAN

Once in a while, I like to make dishes using Baby Onions, which are commonly known as Sambar Onions in South India. These cute onions enhance the aroma and flavour of the dish. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for Shallot Sambar, from the South of India, and Pyaz ki Subzi, from the North of India.

These days we get baby onions in a peeled and packed state. However, if you have bought them as they are you would need to peel them first. This can be quite tedious but I can assure you that this tasty dish is well worth the effort.

Today's recipe is from Hyderabadi cuisine and is adapted from Pyaz ka Salan by Yummy Tummy. Salan is a side dish made with a masala made from groundnuts, sesame seeds, coconut and spices.

We had this as a side dish with rotis and it tasted quite delicious.

Ingredients:-

• Baby Onions (Sambar Onions),  200 grams
• Chilli Powder, 2 tsp
• Coriander Powder, 1 tbsp
• Cumin Powder, 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Kitchen King Masala, 1/4 tsp -1/2 tsp
• Jaggery, grated, 1 tbsp 
• Tamarind, size of small gooseberry 
• Salt, to taste

For Roasting & Grinding: 

• Groundnuts, 1 and 1/2  tbsp 
• White Sesame Seeds, 1 and 1/2  tbsp  
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 2 tbsp

For Seasoning : 

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Fennel Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Cinnamon, 1 " stick
• Curry Leaves, a few 
• Oil, 2 tbsp 

Method:

Peel the baby onions and keep aside
Soak the tamarind in a little warm water, extract the pulp and keep this aside
In a pan, dry roast the groundnuts till they change colour, then add the white sesame seeds and coconut gratings and roast for a few minutes till the sesame seeds pop
Transfer to a small blender jar and grind this to a smooth paste adding just the required amount of water. Keep aside.
In the same pan, heat oil and on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the fennel seeds and cumin seeds, when they sizzle add the cinnamon stick and lastly the curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds.
To this, add the baby onions and saute for a couple of minutes till they become translucent
Next add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and Kitchen King Masala and salt. Mix well.
Add a little water and the prepared groundnut-sesame-coconut paste
Now add the tamarind extract and jaggery. Mix well and bring to a boil
Reduce the heat and let it simmer till the oil separates
Transfer to serving bowl
Serve hot with rotis