Small onion, also widely known as shallot or sambar onion (and locally as chinnavengayam or ullipaya), is a small, bulbous allium vegetable that grows in clusters at the base of the plant. It features a papery, coppery-pink or reddish-purple outer skin enclosing tightly layered, crisp cloves that offer a firm, juicy texture and a distinctly intense, pungent, and sweet flavor that is much richer and less sharp than regular large onions.
