Food talk
Onions for all occasions

Pyaaz ki subzee makes a refreshingly different filling for a parantha roll or sandwich,
writes Pushpesh Pant

WINTERS were long and hard in the hills of Uttarakhand where we grew up. Heavy snowfall often left motor roads blocked for weeks. The long and short of this autobiographical detail is that fresh vegetables were not just in short supply they were just not available. And, as everyone knows mankind doesn’t survive with dal roti alone. The palate keeps asking for a subzi. Alu was the staple, but then how much alu can one eat?

This is when pyaaz was pressed into service. We were treated to a gravy dish based on yoghurt tempered with jambu-Himalayan chives or a scorcher pepped up with chillies. More commonly, onions were served dry with just a little moisture slightly sweet — on their own — and we, the children, were always amazed that the pungency had disappeared totally. Decades later, a friend in Rajasthan introduced us to kandhe ki subzee but that was quite a specialty — the bulb wash dished out intact and the deep incisions provided inlets for delicious filling of kosher vegetarian mince. The gravy was rich as only rich in Rajasthan can be. On other occasions we have relished a theeyal prepared with pearl-like Madras onions and, truth be told, have greatly enjoyed spring onions cooked along with green in a besan-laced recipe. We have friends whose concept of bliss is makki di roti, sarson da saag and muth maar pyaaz. But, let us avoid distraction. What the recipe we share with our readers this time has to commend itself is the ease of preparation and the potential for infinite variation. Onions are good for health — they, we are told, combat the deadly free radicals floating around in the system and can blend with any other edible ingredient — vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Though, there have been times when rising onion prices have brought down governments, mostly they remain within the common man’s reach. This particular recipe can be savoured hot or cold, with roti or rice. Makes a refreshingly different filling for a parantha roll or sandwich.

HOME