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Come autumn and the number of green leafy vegetables available across markets in India goes up. Often lost among the plethora of spinach, fenugreek, mustard and other greens, spring onions can easily get neglected. But there are plenty of good reasons why you should be adding more spring onions to your autumn and winter meals, apart from the fact that they are nutritionally gifted of course. Here are all the reasons to indulge in spring onions.
Well, first of all, spring onions are super-easy to chop up and cook, especially when compared to onions. In fact, while providing roughly the same flavours as onions, spring onions are easier to handle and cook much faster—and if this doesn’t bring your cooking times down then nothing else will. Secondly, spring onions add plenty of colour and vibrance to any dish, be it a curry or a snack. As the days get colder and the weather duller, this can be quite the mood booster. Thirdly, spring onions are versatile and can be used across any and all savoury dishes, vegetarian, vegan or non-vegetarian.
So, this autumn, if you want to get a taste of spring onions like never before, here are some of the dishes from across India you can try out.
Video Credit: YouTube/Hebbars Kitchen
Kandyachya Patichi Bhaji
The winning combination of spring onions, gram flour and garlic come at the very core of this Maharashtrian dish cooked during autumn and winter months. The spring onions are finely chopped, then cooked with a tempering of oil, cumin seeds, green chillies and spices like red chilli powder and turmeric powder. The gram flour or besan is added halfway through the cooking process to absorb excess oil and get the final dish to be crunchier.
Spring Onion Pakoda
A North Indian classic that everyone loves, spring onion pakodas are very easy to make on any evening and perfectly paired with tea and chutneys. All you need to do is chop up plenty of spring onions and mix them with gram flour, salt, red chilli powder, green chillies. Gradually add water to make a thick batter, then deep fry to make the perfect pakodas.
Spring Onion Paratha
The best breakfast on autumn and winter mornings in North India, this spring onion paratha can be paired with yoghurt and pickles. Chopped spring onions are mixed with whole wheat flour, cumin powder, pepper, coriander leaves and a few other ingredients to create a green-hued dough peppered with plenty of spring onions. The dough is then divided, rolled out, cooked on a tawa and served hot with a generous coating of butter or ghee.
Spring Onion Raita
Thanks to their peppery yet slightly sweet taste—and the fact that they can also be enjoyed raw—spring onions work great as a raita option. All you need to do is add chopped spring onions to yoghurt, cumin powder, salt and a bit of chaat masala, and mix these ingredients well to make a delicious raita. You can also fry the spring onions a bit with cumin seeds if you are not comfortable with their raw flavours.
Peyajkoli Posto
A Bengali winter favourite made with spring onion greens and flowers, Peyajkoli Posto is a delicacy enjoyed with hot rice and dal. The spring onions are cooked with chunky potatoes and then a paste of poppy seeds is added in along with green chillies, panch phoron, salt and a bit of Bengali garam masala. No need to add any turmeric or red chillies to this one!
Spring Onion Sabji
Another spring onion dish enjoyed across North India, this sabji is actually made in many different ways. One form requires the cooking of spring onions, potatoes, spices and salt together to make a dry sabji that can be enjoyed with plain parathas and rotis. Another form calls for the use of tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste to make a thick sort of gravy which can be relished with rice too.
Ullithandu Thoran
This variation of the traditional Thoran from Kerala cuisine is very popular during the autumn and winter months. The spring onions are finely chopped and then cooked with a tempering of mustard seeds, coconut oil, curry leaves and green chillies. The addition of coconut makes this dish simply outstanding, and you can enjoy it with appams, rice or any flatbread.
