When browning onions, how do you get them become a nice and caramalized brown, but without having the edges hard and crispy? Also how long should you fry onions so you get a nice rich brown looking salan?
Re: onions ?
As for ur first question, to get a nice caramalized brown onion, u can put sliced/cut onion in enough water that it covers the base of the pan n just leave it on medium heat. You may cover the pan if you'd like, and when the water starts drying up, put in the oil as you would otherwise.
OR you can put oil n onion in together, and once they start becoming translucent (sp?) lower the heat and cook at a lower temperature until they caramalize.
For our salans, we make it a light-medium brown, it should never be as dark as you make them for pulao wagaira.
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The trick is to saute onions on low heat, or so i have discovered.
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Thanks for replies. Ira, how long does this process of frying onions on low heat take?
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my maa told me onions should always be browned on high heat otherwise they become watery.
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pyari: it should depend on the amount of onions you have and how thick or thin they are sliced. I mean dont put it on super low heat but try low-medium heat.
Shweeto: The onions become watery no matter what. Do whatever works for ya. :D I find that the onions burn too quickly but dont get soft if i saute on high heat.
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I just wondered , after browning onions does anyone gind them I grinded them yesteday after browning them, i added them to half a tin of tomatoes and garlic in a blender and blended the whole thing together( i was actually following a recipe for koftay) anyway, my salan tasted really weird. I just wanted a smooth gravy to add the koftay into.
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For browining onions ,oil should be very hot before putting the onions and put a pinch of salt in them.
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So what are you cooking??
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start frying them on high heat then reduce to low. ^
also…i read somewhere that you can add a bit of milk to the onions while frying them. has anyone tried that?
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mannnnn 
.. koftay really are tripping women over left right and centre eh .. hehe…
Shaztaf… there are a lot of recipes on GS for koftay .. infact there is a thread going on at the very moment… match ure recipe with some of ones given by guppans… maybe ure recipe is at fault… you are meant to grind to a paste the onions, garlic and tomato (alongwith a whole lotta other ingredients)…
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So, Khawateen, let me get this right, for smooth gravy, you blend the raw onions to paste. fry till brown, add spices, then add blended tomatoes? Or blend onions, garlic ginger and tomatoes together first , then fry this paste.
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nahi nahi... brown ure onions... then take out of oil... put into blender with rest of ingredients and make fine paste... then u fry the paste in oil until tomato water is totally evaporated... then u add enough water to cook the koftay... cook until bubbling.. put the heat on medium.. and add koftay... cook on medium heat until koftay are tender... i just leave them for 30 mins....
dont push the koftay around with a spoon... just swivel the pot around by holding the handles...
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As in my ammi’s words…‘degchi kay kaan pakaR ker usay hilaao’ 
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dont push the koftay around with a spoon... just swivel the pot around by holding the handles...
i would be very grateful if you could tell me the full recipe and also quantities of things used, if its not too much trouble, so i'm clear on what i'm doing. So say, for 1/2 kilo of meat, for the gravy, i need to brown 2 onions, take out of pan, place in blender, then add garlic and tomatoes in blender with onions, then blend all together. Do i put the spices in the blender too? Sorry for all the questions, it may be easier if you could write the recipe in detail, step by step stating how much of each ingredient and spices to be used. It would be such a big help to me :)
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dont u’all CRY with onions? 
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my recipe (just adjust measurements according to how much meat u'll use)
meatballs:
2 lb finely minced meat (make sure the keema is greasy)
1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 cup fresh corriander
4 green chillies
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 slice of bread (soak in water for a bit and then squeeze water out - can also use basin -chickpea powder- 2 tbsp roasted in a pan and then ground to powder)
2 tbsp yoghurt
2 onions - one fried until golden and one left raw. (medium size)
Make paste of ingredients. Add to minced meat and let the machine mix for a min or 2.
shape minced meat into meatballs, use oiled hands so the mixture doesnt stick to ure palms.
curry:
1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
2 tomatoes finely sliced
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp zeera powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric (haldi) powder
2 onions - one raw and one fried until golden (fry ure onion and then add to rest of ingredients to make paste). medium size
Mix and Make a paste out of all the above ingredients.
In a deep cooking pot, warm oil (2 cooking spoons). When oil is hot, add the curry paste and cook (bhoono) until teh tomato water has evaporated. (cook on high heat)
then add water to the pot (bout 2 mugs or enuff to cook teh meatballs).. when water starts to bubble, put the stove on medium heat and start adding the meatballs.... when all are added, check the water level, it should be enuff to cook the meat.. it really does depend on what quality minced meat u have... usually i only let the water go half way up teh meatballs.. so i can see their tops .... so cook on medium heat utnil ure meatballs are tender..... put the stoev on high heat and cook to wahtever consistency u like ure shorba... i like it thick so i cook until teh gravy is thick!
u can garnish with chopped up fresh corriander leaves
lovely lovely.... !
u can also make nargisi koftay.. just take a boiled egg, cover with minced meat and cook as above!
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Khawateen, thanks so much. Really appreciate it. I'm gonna try out this recipe, but i'll just use 1 pound of meat only, as i think 2 pounds are gonna make way too many koftay. Thanks again:)
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oh no prob love... actualy.. u know what... u can make 2 lb of meat too.... follow the ingredients.. mix into keema... and then use the amount u need.. adn freeze teh rest... this way u wont havta go thru the whole process of making a paste outta all ingredients again... sorta jhat phat the next time u make koftay :)