Fried onions and Persian cooking go hand in hand. I can assure you that they will be used in most of the Persian recipes that I will be posting in my blog. Fried onions complement Persian cooking the same way that garlic complements Italian cooking. When fresh yellow onions are sliced ever so thinly and fried just until golden brown, the aroma will make you feel hungry for a taste of this simple but delicious addition to your food. Wait until you taste it in the Persian stews that are called “khoresht” or stew. I love fried onions in my cooking. I have discovered that they make stews and some soups or Aash taste ten times better. I usually make fried onion in large quantities and freeze it so I have it ready whenever I feel like some Persian food. Once you have experienced the convenience of having this main ingredient in your freezer, you will never go back to making a fresh batch every time you are in the mood for Persian food.
- 1 large yellow onion
- Vegetable oil, enough to barely cover the bottom of a large nonstick skillet
- Remove the outer skin and cut out the root with the tip of your knife. Cut the onion in half from root to tip and then cut each half lengthwise into two pieces. Slice the onion quarters into ¼- inch slices.
- Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté until translucent. Stir frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté until the slices turn a rich golden brown color. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
- If you decide that you want to fry a few pounds of onions at a time for storing in the freezer like me, who has been known to fry 20 pounds in an all-day session, follow the same steps and fry them in several batches. I use two 12-inch skillets so I can fry large amounts at the same time. After you fry each batch use a heat resistant slotted spoon to transfer the fried onion slices into a colander that is placed over a plate to catch the excess oil. You may pour the oil back in the skillet and fry more onions. Cool the onions completely before storing them in the freezer bags. Add the cooled fried onions to the bags, flatten with your hand to ¾-inch thickness. The oil used for frying prevents the onions from freezing solid and you will be able to break off as much as you need after they are frozen.
If you decide that you want to fry a few pounds of onions at a time for storing in the freezer like me, who has been known to fry 20 pounds in an all-day session, follow the same steps and fry them in several batches. I use two 12-inch skillets so I can fry large amounts at the same time. After you fry each batch use a heat resistant slotted spoon to transfer the fried onion slices into a colander that is placed over a plate to catch the excess oil. You may pour the oil back in the skillet and fry more onions. Cool the onions completely before storing them in the freezer bags. Add the cooled fried onions to the bags, flatten with your hand to ¾-inch thickness. The oil used for frying prevents the onions from freezing solid and you will be able to break off as much as you need after they are frozen.
Should fried onions for Persian cooking be salted? And if so, during which part of the process?
I never add salt to fried onions and add the salt along with the other spices to all the khoresh, khorak or aash that use fried onions.