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No more tears! Onion-free recipes to your rescue

Prices of onions are soaring again.

So it seems like a good time to dig out from our archives, these lip-smacking recipes of dishes that DON'T need onions.

If you'd rather do without the pricy onion in your food, take a look at these recipes that we've handpicked specially for you.

Quick Mutton Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 kg mutton, chopped to small curry pieces
• 4 tsp coriander or dhaniya powder
• 4 tbsp Everest meat masala powder
• 3 tsp chilly powder or red chillies
• 2 tsp turmeric or haldi powder
• 5 tbsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method:

• Wash the mutton well. Marinate mutton with the dhaniya powder, Everest meat masala powder, lal mirchi, haldi, salt, garlic paste, ginger paste and black pepper.
• Set aside for a few hours.
• Put the marinated mutton in a pressure cooker with 4 to 5 tbsp oil.
• Pressure cook on low fire for 10 whistles. Turn off heat.
• Allow it to sit for 20 minutes closed. Open and heat so the excess water dries up.
• Serve hot with rice or roti.

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Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 kg whole chicken, skinned, cleaned and washed out thoroughly
• 1 cup curd
• 1/2 tsp jalebi food colour or beetroot juice

To be ground together for masala:

• 3 green chillies
• 1" piece ginger
• 1/2 pod of garlic
• 25 gm raw papaya
• 1 clove (laung)
• 1/4" stick cinnamon (dalchini)
• 2 cardamom pods (elaichi)
• 1 tsp dhaniya seeds
• Salt to taste
• 2 lemons
• Butter or ghee

Method:

• Beat curd and mix in the ground masala, food color, salt, raw papaya and spices.
• Remove the skin, gizzard etc from the chicken.
• With a 2" fork prick well into the flesh, all over.
• Marinate the chicken in th curd masala for at least 3-4 hours.
• Pre-heat oven at 450 degrees F.
• Place chicken in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. It should be almost dry and almost cooked.
• Brush with ghee or butter.
• Replace in oven and heat slowly till just before serving hot.
• Remove papaya strips.
• Serve hot with lemon wedges and mint leaves.

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Banana Kofta Fry

Ingredients

• 6 raw bananas
• 1-2-tbsp haldi powder
• 1/2-tbsp garam masala powder
• 3 tbsp green chilli paste
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• 2 cups fresh coriander leaves, washed
• Salt to taste

For the filling

• 100 gm cheese, grated
• 7-8 almonds, powdered
• 3-4 cardamom pods, powdered
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, powdered

For the chutney, to be ground together

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 50 gm peanuts
• 4-5 green chillies
• 1 cup coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, roasted
• 2 tsp roasted peanuts
• Lemon juice
• Salt to taste

For the gravy

• 500 gm dry peas
• 1-tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 pinch soda
• 1/2 cup tomato pulp
• Salt to taste

Method:

For kofta

• Wash, clean the bananas and boil them in a pressure cooker.
• Peel the skin and mash them.
• Add haldi powder, garam masala, green chilli paste, salt and corn flour. Make 20-22 equal sized balls. Set aside.
• Mix the cheese, nutmeg powder, almond powder and cardamom powder. Make smaller balls of this filling.
• Wet your palms. Press a banana ball in your palm and place a filling ball into the flattened banana ball and round it up.
• Deep-fry the round balls in oil.

For curry

• Cook the peas by adding a pinch of soda in the water. Cook till very soft.
• Grind in the mixer.
• Melt butter in a pot. Add cumin seeds.
• Pour in tomato pulp.
• Mix crushed peas, salt and boil. Add ground paste.
• Cook for five more minutes and add more water if needed.
• Just a few minutes before serving, add the koftas.
• Sprinkle the remaining coriander on top.
• Serve warm.

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Corn Poha

Ingredients

• 1 kg cobs of corn
• 100 gm poha
• 50 gm peas
• 3-4 green chilies
• 3 tsp oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp grated coconut
• 1 1/2 cup coriander leaves
• Sugar
• Salt to taste

Method

• Boil the corn cobs in a pressure cooker. Remove the corn seeds.
• Soak poha in water. Boil the peas.
• Drain and squeeze out water from poha.
• Warm the oil in a frying pan make baghar with cumin seeds, add a pinch of asafetida.
• Add boiled corn, poha, salt, sugar, lemon juice and coriander leaves.
• Mix well for 10 minutes.
• Garnish with boiled peas and grated coconut.

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Grilled Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg minced meat
• 2 small boiled potatoes
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp haldi
• 1/2 tsp dhana jeera powder
• 1/4 tsp red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Grind together

• 1/2 bunch coriander leaves
• 5 green chillies
• 5-6 mint leaves
• 6 pods garlic
• 2" piece of ginger

Method

• Mince together meat and potatoes.
• Add all the ground masala and spices and mix well. Marinate for at least four hours.
• Mix in the egg and form the mixture into balls.
• Brush over with ghee.
• Either grill or skewer and broil over charcoal fire.
• Serve very hot with mint leaves or tomato ketchup.

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Matar Paneer

Ingredients

• 4 potatoes
• 200 gm paneer and peas
• 2-3 tbsp refined oil
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 litre water
• 4 tomatoes
• 1 tsp coriander powder

Method

• Wash the potatoes, peas and tomatoes with water.
• Prepare tomato puree from four tomatoes.
• Put 2-3 tablespoons of oil in the pan.
• After about 5 minutes, when the oil is heated add a pinch of asafoetida and 1 teaspoon of jeera.
• Add diced potatoes in the pan.
• After the potatoes have been fried, add tomato puree to the pan.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and 1 teaspoon of coriander powder. Add salt and chopped chillies according to taste.
• Add about 200 grams of matar (peas) and paneer. Mix the ingredients properly.
• Add about 1/2 litre of water in the pan.
• Cover the pan and cook till potatoes become tender.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Aloo Gobi

Ingredients

• 500 gm cauliflower
• 4 potatoes
• 2-3 tbsp refined oil
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 1 tsp jeera
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 500 ml water

Method

• Wash the cauliflower and potatoes carefully.
• Pour at least 2-3 tablespoons of refined oil to the pan.
• Wait for about 5 minutes for the oil to heat.
• Add a pinch of asafoetida and jeera.
• Wait for the jeera to turn brown.
• Add diced potatoes to the pan.
• After about five minutes, add neatly sliced cauliflower.
• Add salt and sliced chillies, according to taste.
• Add turmeric and coriander powder.
• Mix the ingredients properly and place a cover on top of the pan.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

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Aloo Tikki

Ingredients

For the tikki

• 1/2 kg potato boiled and grated
• 250 gm green peas, crushed
• 4-5 green chillies, finely chopped
• 25 gm ginger, finely chopped
• 150 gm roasted channa powder
• 2 nutmeg grated
• 5 gm cumin seeds
• 100 ml ghee
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• A pinch of asafoetida

For tamarind chutney:

• 100 gm tamarind
• 4-5 red chillies
• 50 gm coriander seeds
• A pinch of black salt
• Ginger
• 50 gm dates
• Salt to taste

For the green chutney

• 1 cup coriander leaves
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 2 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
• 3-4 green chillies
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt to taste

Method

For the tikki

• Take 100 gm ghee in a frying pan.
• Add cumin seeds and roast them. Add finely chopped green chillies and ginger.
• Add crushed green peas and saute.
• Add turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt to taste. Fry for 10 minutes on slow fire and allow it to cool.
• Take grated potato in a separate bowl.
• Strain the roasted channa powder and sprinkle it over the potato.
• Add nutmeg and salt to taste.
• Mix them well. Make small balls and stuff the green peas (prepared earlier) into them.
• Take 2 tbsp ghee in a frying pan and fry the tikki, flipping both slides until they turn golden brown.

For tamarind chutney

• In a vessel, take 150 ml water.
• Add tamarind, red chillies, coriander seeds, black salt, ginger and dates.
• Boil for 10 minutes.
• Strain the mixture to drain off extra water.
• Heat it again and keep stirring till it reaches the right consistency.
• Cool before you serve.

For green chutney

• In a grinding jar, add coriander leaves, mint leaves, pomegranate seeds, green chillies, ginger, yoghurt.
• Grind it well, adding 1-2 ice cubes.
• Add roasted cumin powder, lemon juice and salt to taste.

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Hara Bhara Kabab

Ingredients

• 1 carrot
• 50 gm beans
• 50 gm cauliflower
• 250 gm potatoes, boiled and grated
• 50 gm coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 4 green chillies, finely chopped
• 50 gm mint leaves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp chaat masala
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 cup thick spinach puree
• 250 gm bread crumbs
• 100 gm corn flour
• Salt to taste

Method

• Pour a glass of water in a vessel and add all vegetables except potatoes in it.
• Boil for 5-10 minutes and drain the water.
• Finely chop the vegetables and keep them aside.
• In a separate bowl, take the grated potato and add finely chopped coriander, mint leaves, chaat masala, garam masala and salt to taste. Mix it well.
• Add spinach puree and mix it well.
• Add bread crumbs and corn flour.
• Make small balls and stuff them with the vegetable mixture prepared earlier.
• Flatten them.
• Heat 100 gm ghee in a frying pan.
• Fry the tikkis by flipping both sides until golden brown.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with tamarind or green chutney.

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Jain Chivda

Ingredients

• 2 cups pressed rice
• 1 tsp red chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• Pinch of asafoetida
• Pinch of dry mango powder
• 3 green chillies, finely chopped
• A few curry leaves
• 1 tbsp sugar (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup roasted puffed split gram (dalia)
• 1/4 cup roasted cashews
• 1/4 cup soaked, drained and fried channa dal
• 1 tbsp dry coconut slices, roasted
• 1 tbsp raisins
• Oil for deep-frying (optional)
• 2 tsp oil to saute

Method

• Roast the poha on a low flame until crunchy in texture. Keep aside after adding chilly powder, turmeric powder and dry mango powder. Mix well.
• Take a broad pan and heat two tablespoons of oil.
• Add asafoetida, green chillies and curry leaves and saute for a minute.
• Minimise the flame and add peanuts, split gram, cashews, channa dal, coconut slices, raisins and mix well.
• Add this mixture to poha and mix well.
• Add salt and sugar to taste, mix well and when cool fill it in an airtight container.

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Jain Malai Kofta

Ingredients

For the koftas

• 4 raw bananas, boiled and mashed
• 1 tsp green chilli paste
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• Juice of 1/4 lemon
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1 tsp dry ginger powder
• Salt to taste

For the filling:

• 1 cup grated paneer
• 1/4 cup boiled American corn
• 1/2 capsicum
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp cashew nuts and raisins (optional)
• 1 tsp green chilly paste
• 1tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt to taste

For the gravy

• 500 gms tomatoes, boiled
• 1/2 cup boiled bottlegourd
• 1/2 cup boiled cabbage
• 1 tsp dry ginger powder
• 1 tsp chilly and mint paste
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup malai
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil

To be ground together for the masala paste:

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 tbsp cashew nuts
• 2 pieces cinnamon, cloves and cardamom
• 1/4 cup grated fresh coconut
• 2 tbsp red chilly powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 2 tbsp sugar

Method

• For koftas, add all the listed ingredients and mix well.
• For the filling, add all the ingredients and mix well.
• Take small portions of the kofta mixture and stuff the filling inside.
• Make small oval shaped koftas and keep aside.
• For the gravy, mix tomatoes, bottle gourd and cabbage and blend well with one cup water.
• Pass it through a sieve and then add all the other ingredients and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the masala paste and saute it.
• Add the gravy and allow it to cook for five to seven minutes.
• Arrange the koftas in a serving dish and pour the hot gravy on just before you serve.

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Pineapple and Prawn Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup pre-cooked rice
• 100 gm fresh pineapple, cut into 1" cubes
• 50 gm fresh prawns
• 2-3 Thai red chillies
• 4-5 French beans, cut into bite-size bits
• 5-6 cloves of garlic
• 5-6 fresh basil leaves
• 50 ml fresh pineapple juice
• 2 tbsp soya sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Method

• Using a mortar and pestle, roughly pound the chillies and garlic to a rough paste.
• In a large pan or wok, heat oil and fry the basil leaves till they are crisp. Remove and keep aside.
• To the same oil, add the chilly-garlic paste and fry till the garlic is brown (but not burnt).
• Add the pineapple and stir-fry till the pineapple have a slight brown coating.
• Add the prawns and cook for about minute. Add the french beans and cook.
• Combine the pineapple juice, fish sauce and soya sauce in a bowl and stir well to combine.
• Add rice to the wok and and some of the mixture of the sauces and pineapple juice. Mix well to combine.
• Repeat this process for the remainder of the rice and the juice mixture.
• Now add the fried basil leaves and give it a final mix.
• Serve hot.

Elson Sequeira runs the food blog http://thetummytale.blogspot.in

Reader Invite: Do you also have onion-free recipes?

Share them with us! We would love to try them out

E-mail the recipes with pictures to getahead@rediff.co.in (Subject line: Onion-free Recipes) and we'll publish the best ones right here!