I mentioned previously that I am not really keen on pickled vegetables. However they are a fast and easy addition to salads, adding another layer of flavour and colour. I made this to add to a lentil and artichoke salad, which I will share in the next post. Now that I think about it, these are also the pickles that accompany my roti canai and dosa at Bala’s Banana Leaf in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
This simple recipe (see note at the end of the post) uses red onions, but you could also use banana shallots which are long in shape. Regular shallots are too small and round to make it easy to slice. I learnt to peel shallots as a kitchen help in my grandmother’s tiny kitchen: the easiest way is to soak the shallots in a bowl of lukewarm water first, which softens the skin making it easier to peel/ slip off. A small, sharp knife is essential.
I have only added some sliced chilli to the pickle, but any one or a combination of the following can be added as well: ½ teaspoon of coriander seeds, fennel seeds or black peppercorns, a piece of fresh or dried bay leaf, one whole star anise, 2 strips of lemon rind or the grated zest of half a lemon.
The pickle does not look too promising at first but the colour from the red onions slowly leach into the brine, making it a most attractive pink after only a few hours
The pickle after 24 hours in the brine
For the Pickle:
185 g apple cider vinegar (I used Aspall brand)
50 g unrefined caster sugar
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1 mild red or green chilli, thinly sliced
400 g red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
How to Make:
Place the vinegar, sugar, salt and chillies in a small saucepan. Gently heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool a little.
Whilst the brine is cooling, peel and slice the onions into thin, even strips.
Place the onions in a large pickling jar and fill it with the brine.
Leave overnight at room temperature and then transfer to the fridge.
The pickles will be ready to eat within an hour, but try to brine it for at least 24 hours if you can. Whilst they can be kept for a very long time in the fridge, I think it’s best to make small batches every now and then.
As the pickling bottle has a rubber seal, I tip it upside down initially so the top now becomes the bottom and the onions get a good soaking in the brine. I turn it back later when the onions have softened and collapsed a little. In this way the onions get pickled evenly.
Note:
This recipe is adapted from FERMENT, by Kenji Morimoto (published by One Boat, ISBN 978-1035053742). This is part instruction and part recipe book. If you don’t want to make your own kimchi, miso, pickles, kombucha or cheong (one part sugar to one part fruit), you can use ready made versions of these items and cook from the given recipes.