Cook It 5 Ways: Onions

Slurp on some onion soup.

A staple in every Indian household, most of the dishes are incomplete without a desi tadka made of ginger, garlic and onions. Whether it is lentils, veggies or a meat curry, onions are a must in Indian cooking. But a little experimentation with these little bulbs doesn't hurt, right? So, maybe try something different with all the onions at home. Shall we?

Onion Soup

Settle down with a bowl of some piping hot onion soup after a long day at work.

In a pan, melt butter and olive oil. Add chopped onions and saute. Pour in vegetable broth along with some thyme, salt, pepper and let it simmer for a while. Pour this to oven-safe serving bowls with bread croutons, grated cheese and some coriander. Toss it in the oven until the cheese melts and serve hot. Sounds good, right?

Find a recipe here.

Onion Fritters

Have guests coming over without a warning? Fry up these quick fritters and serve 'em with your favourite dip.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, chilli powder, baking soda, coriander leaves, an egg and some water. Cut the onions into roundels and dip them in the batter to coat. In a pan, heat some oil and deep fry the fritters. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Find a recipe here.

Onion Tartlets

A great appetiser for all your house parties, these will leave your guests very happy.

In a heated pan, add butter, onions and saute until golden brown. In a bowl, whisk together an egg, milk and some herbs. Add the onions to this and pour it into pre-baked tartlets. Put this in the oven for 30 minutes or until everything is well baked. Garnish with some mint and serve.

Find a recipe here.

Onion Bread

Why begin your day with the same old bread when you can have homemade onion bread to pair with your breakfast?

Start by adding oil, onions and a little salt to a heated pan. Saute until golden brown. In another bowl, mix together flour, green onion, active yeast, water and sautéed onions. Cover it and let it sit for about 1 hour at room temperature to rise until doubled in size. Roll out the dough and add it to a loaf pan. Bake in the oven. Slice and serve.

Find the recipe here.

Onion Pickle

If you ever wish to add something extra to your meal, just add a dollop of this delicious pickle on your plate.

In a heated pan, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds and roast. Grind them into a fine powder and keep aside. In another pan, add peeled onions and saute for a few minutes until light golden brown. Remove the onions aside and in the same pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and asafoetida and fry for a while. Add the onions and mix well. In this, put turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, pickle powder, tamarind pulp and a little jaggery. Mix again and transfer to an air-tight jar.

Find a recipe here.