Fried Onions

Perfectly fried onions...I think I can tell you more about frying onions than I possibly can about southern fried chicken. Whenever it came time for Ramadan, Eids, or any huge event at our home, you'd expect my mom(and now myself) to pull out the mandolin and frying pan! The house (and all of us) would smell of onions for days , which was the most unpleasant part of the entire process.  This staple, however, is very important for many dishes such as biryanis, kormas, and haleem. Fried onions can make or break the dish and it is not as easy as it seems!! It has taken many burnt batches of fried onions for me to learn how to make the perfect batch(and I still find myself making mistakes). After all my successes and fails, I have come to realize you don't have to be a masterchef to make this, the secret is all in the timing. 

 Ingredients
4-6 large onions 
Oil for Frying(I use canola)
Mandolin/Food Processor
Deep pan or pot for frying

Method
1. Take the onions and finely slice them using a mandolin or food processor. 
​Tip: Wrap the sliced onions in paper towel to soak up excess juices for about 15 minutes. This will help lessen the cooking time and make crispy onions. 
2. Take your frying vessel and heat about 1/4 gallon of oil. You will need enough oil to cover a batch of onions completely. 
3. Put the heat on low and slowly add about half the onions. Please be careful while adding the onions, as it bubbles up when the onions are added.
4. Raise the heat to about medium-hi and let the onions fry for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Start stirring the onions more aggressively when it starts to brown(first picture). Keep stirring until it becomes a tan brown(second pic). 
6. Turn the flame off and remove quickly onto a plate/tray lined with paper towel to soak up excess oil. Let cool as it crisps up and store in a ziploc bag or airtight container. You can freeze until used.