Topic: Pink / Rosanna / Bombay / Indian Onions - anyone use them?

[aris]

These onions are a bit smaller, but very sweet and drier, so cook down and caramelise very well.  My local Asian shop calls they Bombay onions, and they are imported from India.  I see tesco sells similar ones which I think are gown in the UK (and tend to be fresher as a result) called Rosanna onions.

They have a pink skin between the onion layers inside like a red onion, but pink.  These onions are similar to what you get in the Mediterranean on salads.  Very leasing on the palate when eaten raw.

[Invisible Mike]

I think chewytikka mentioned using them in a base once.

[aris]

ThEy are the real deal.  It's all that is used in India.  We use them for all our cooking (Indian or not) at home.

[tommy99]

Today I bought some 'Pink Curry Onions' from Asda. I had never seen them before. I have started cooking with them tonight. They are large and slice very well. No tears either.

[Invisible Mike]

Please let us know your results T99.

[Naga]

Roscoff Onions, which are ros

[tommy99]

Roscoff Onions, which are ros

[tommy99]

Please let us know your results T99.

The onions are larger than average and seem less acidic and milder. They remind me of very large pink shallots but round shape. I would be very happy to use them in a very wide variety of cooking.

My thought is that you don't have to cook them out for as long as other onions to get the sweetness come through so are ideal for a quick curry.

However, I used Extra Hot Chilli Powder and Extra Hot Madras Powder in combination for the first-time too and the results were great. It had a BIR taste even without using a base gravy.

I wasn't aiming to recreate any particular curry and just did my own thing:

Very large Pink Curry Onion finely chopped
Tomato puree
1 large chopped tomato
Water
Extra Hot Chilli Powder
Extra Hot Madras Powder
Tumeric
1 Cardamon Pod split open
1 Clove
1 Bay leaf
Frozen Garlic block
Frozen Ginger block
black onions seeds
Fenugreek powder
Cumin seeds

Frozen mixed veg (it costs less than a quid for a 1Kg bag in Asda)
A very small bit of white cabbage
Can of drained chick peas
Some frozen spinach

Total cost probably less than ?1.50 for 4 good sized portions.

[Naga]

...The ASDA label says they are grown in Lincolnshire.

Aye, they will be!

I know them as Roscoff because they are AOC and I have only bought them in France in season. They are defintely very nice, and nice for a change from run-of-the-mill onions.. But, apparently, they have only been grown there since the 17th century, so they must have come from somewhere else, I suppose!