How to beat the onion crisis with these 'No-onion' recipes

“Who moved my onion?”, “Onion may touch Rs.100/kg by Puja”, “Onion free with purchase of tyres”, “Know your onions”, “Amid LOC firing, India plans to buy onions from Pakistan”, “Soaring onion prices brings tears across India”-these are all the headlines the humble onion is making in newspapers across India!

Get on to any social networking site and you’ll find hundreds of ‘original’ teary jokes and see ‘rings’ with the onion taking the pride of place instead of a diamond! So much brouhaha over the price of one of the most essential ingredient in most menus seems justified. Jokes apart, yes, they do make you cry when you have them and also when you don’t!!

I’m not a student of economics, but here’s a thought-if the demand for onions falls, won’t the rates too take a dive? What if we all use onions sparingly? Normally where you would need 2-3 onions/ day what if you can make do with just 1 onion in two days? How???? For starters, try making your regular dishes by reducing the amount of onions or even omitting the onion altogether or the next simple alternative: prepare dishes that don’t need onions!

Is that possible? Cooking Indian food without onions?? Of course it is- there are many communities who make delicious food without onions or garlic. Even Ayurveda advocates the ‘Satvik diet’ in which pungent foods like onion, garlic, green chilli and others are not recommended!

Here’s what I do- make dishes that does not require onions, simple! It’s not impossible-think about it. There are dishes in your menu books or that you regularly make which do not require onions-just make these dishes till the onion prices fall, which it will eventually. I’m sure most people are already doing the same, for those at a loss here are a few dishes that you can try out for the next few days:

Read more: Face the onion crisis with these 'No-Onion' dishes. Published in Citizen Matters (26th August 2013)

Palak Chutney(Spicy spinach chutney)

Palak Chutney (Spicy spinach Chutney)

The original recipe uses tendli/tondli(ivy gourd) leaves,but since that isn't available everywhere, had to substitute with palak.The resulting Palak Chutney was quite close to the 'tondekai/tondli chutney' that I remember. Here are the ingredients for the Palak Chutney:

Ingredients:
Palak(baby)/Baby spinach-2 cups chopped
Garlic-5 cloves(crushed)
Ginger-1" piece
Cilantro/coriander leaves-1 cup
Green chillies-6-7nos(or according to taste)
Roasted channa dal-2 tbsp
Roasted groundnut-2tbsp
Hung yogurt/curd-3tbsp(sour)
Salt-to taste
Oil-1tsp

Method:
1)Heat the oil in a pan,add the garlic and green chillies and saute for a couple of minutes.
2)Add the chopped baby spinach and saute till they are cooked.Let it cool.
4)In a mixer grinder-add the channa dal,groundnuts,cilantro,ginger,salt and the cooked palak.
5)Make a fine paste.
6)Pour the palak chutney into a bowl. Add the yogurt and mix well. Test for salt.

Palak chutney tastes great even without the addition of the yogurt/curd at the end(add a little tamarind). I just love the creaminess that the yogurt adds to the palak chutney.
Serve the palak chutney with idlis/dosas, as a spread for sandwiches,a dip or as a side with your meal.

Brinjal Bharta (Eggplant Curry)

Brinjal Bharta

'Eggplant/Aubergine' or 'Brinjal' as it's popularly called in India, is on my list of 'not-so favorite' veggies . It's not that the list is very long-there are just two vegetables (brinjal and potatoes) and again it's not that I will not touch them. I prefer to eat them only in certain dishes:potatoes as chips or in Masala Dosa and brinjal as a bharta, pakora or stuffed.
For the Brinjal bharta, the brinjal is usually first roasted whole over a fire (since we have an electric cooktop here, I had to bake it) . Once roasted,the brinjal pulp is then cooked with chopped onions,tomatoes and garnished with chopped cilantro. The Brinjal bharta goes well with 'phulkas/roti' or with steamed rice and dal.Here are the ingredients for Brinjal Bharta:
Ingredients:

• Eggplant/brinjal: 1 big
• Onion: 1 medium, finely chopped
• Tomatoes: 1-2 ,diced
• Green chillies: 1-2,slit lengthwise
• Ginger: 1 tsp, finely chopped
• Garlic: 4-5, finely chopped
• Garam masala: 1tsp
• Cilantro/coriander leaves: 5 tbsp, finely chopped
• Salt: to taste
• Oil: 1tsp

Method:

1. Spread a little oil over the skin of the eggplant/brinjal and roast over an open flame till it gets cooked(or you could bake it in the oven for 20-30mins).
2. After it cools a bit, remove the skin (the oil applied on the skin makes it easy) and coarsely chop the eggplant pulp. Keep aside.
3. Heat the oil in a pan,then add the chopped ginger and garlic. Let it fry for about a minute,then add the chopped onions and salt.
4. Saute till the onions become translucent, then add the slit green chillies, diced tomatoes and garam masala powder. Stir for about 5-6 minutes till the tomatoes are cooked.
5. Add the pulp of the brinjal and cook for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
6. Garnish the brinjal bharta with chopped cilantro and serve hot with phulkas.

Brinjal Bharta

Question: What is your favorite dish with 'eggplant/aubergine'?