Onions sans tears

Food Talk by Pushpesh Pant

The spiralling prices of onions have made all of us shed copious tears. The commodity once considered poor man’s companion has beaten many an exotic imported veggies in terms of unaffordable prices. The politics of onions is something that we don’t intend to grapple with at the moment. However, the crisis — man-made or natural — reminds us of the myriad tales about pyaaz.

Contrary to popular belief, onions are not indispensable in Indian cuisines. It is only with the influx of refugees from the Punjab that onions have proliferated. As a matter of fact, we find no mention of onions either in Vedic literature or in our epics. True, Ayurvedic texts mention palandu, an indigenous variety of onions, but without according it a special place in terms of medicinal properties or nutrition. Historians tell us that the onions we commonly use today originated near the Afghanistan-Iran border and it is reasonable to suggest that use of onions was popularised by Turks, Afghans and Mughals.

Interestingly, not all meat lovers find it necessary to use onions in their favourite recipes. Rich with meaty recipes, the Kashmiri Pandit repertoire does without onions and even Muslims in the valley use a local variety called paran. It’s not only the orthodox Brahmins who eschew onions as dark food (tamasik) that gives rise to lustful desires but the traditional Vaishya cuisine and Jainas too don’t use them. The purists believe that onions and tomatoes overpower the natural taste of other seasonal vegetables. Add the ubiquitous garam masala and everything tastes the same!

However, we have always been amazed by the versatility of onions. You can caramelise them and enjoy their sweetness or relish their savoury avatar in tartlets. Awadhi and Hyderabadi delicacies like do pyaza, ishtoo, qorma use onions as paste, sliced and fried before crumbling, or as boiled onion paste, changing the taste and texture of the dish. Vindaloo in Goa relies on the magic of onions coupled with vinegar. But let’s not stray from the chosen path for the day.

There are a few recipes that treat onions sensibly and let it shine in solitary splendour. One such recipe is Kande ki Sabzi. It is cooked in many ways in Rajasthan, the most impressive is the mince stuffed whole onion in a chilly laced gravy. Stunning as it is, it takes some effort and requires more than a little patience to pull it off. Lazy as we are, our favourite is a quick fix version that is no less mouth watering. Let us reassure you that it can be served in small portions as a side dish in times when onion prices have shot through the roof.

Recipe:

Ingredients

Onions 4 (medium sized) sliced fine

Spring onions (2 bulbs) chopped

Curd 100 ml

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Amchur powder 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 2 tbsp

Method

Mix the curd with equal measure of water and add powdered spices and salt. Mix well.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When these begin to crackle, add onions, stir briskly. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir fry till the onions turn rich brown in colour. Add the curd and water solution and stir briskly for 30 seconds and let it simmer till almost all moisture is absorbed. Sprinkle the finely chopped spring onions and blend well. Cook for 30 second or less and turn the stove off. The sabzi shouldn’t be too dry. If you like the stuff hot, you may temper it with a couple of green chillies!