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Shravan or Sawan is a holy month celebrated by Hindus across India. Many devotees observe fasts on Monday and Tuesday to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This is the fourth month of the Hindu calendar that also celebrates the onset of the southwest monsoon in India.
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While fasting, many people give up onion and garlic, especially on days they observe the fast. Hence, you need recipes that taste delicious without these vegetables and boast easy-to-follow recipes. Here are a few recommendations you can make.
Lauki Ki Sabzi
Bottle gourd has a high amount of water in it and can be cooked without onion and garlic. The easiest way to prepare it is using a pressure cooker. Buy a fresh bottle gourd, wash it, peel its skin, and dice it into medium-sized chunks. Heat ghee in the cooker, and add cumin seeds and green chillies to it. If you prefer to eat turmeric during fasts, you can add a pinch of it to oil and fold in lauki and water. After 2-3 whistles, the curry will be ready. Drizzle lemon juice and serve it with roti and rice of your choice.
Dahi Ke Aloo
If you are from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, you must be aware of this tangy curry that needs curd, potatoes, and a handful of spices. To the tempering of oil, cumin seeds, red chilli powder, add curd. Keep stirring the mixture until the mixture comes to a boil. Rough crumble boiled potatoes with your hands and add them to the bubbling curd mixture. After adding salt to taste, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve.
Paneer Butter Masala
To make paneer butter masala, let go of onion, garlic, and turmeric. You can prepare the base with cashew paste, add colour and sourness from tomato puree, and enhance the hue with Kashmiri red chilli powder. Don’t forget to add ginger paste for the kick, butter for creaminess, and kasuri methi for its aroma. After cooking fresh paneer cubes in the gravy, serve this delight with roti and rice.
Methi-Aloo Sabzi
Meth-aloo sabzi is usually prepared dry, but you can prepare its base using tomato puree. Roast your preferred spices until the oil separates and cook chopped methi leaves after adding water. Right before the curry is about to boil, add potatoes and put on the lid. After some time, adjust the salt, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with paratha or rice.
Tamatar Aloo Sabzi
It is probably one of the most popular no-onion and garlic curries savoured across India. Roast tomato puree with spices until oil separates from it. Add water, diced potatoes, a handful of peas, and salt to taste. Close the lid of the pressure and wait for 2-3 whistles. You can also replicate the recipe in kadhai, but you should use boiled potatoes instead of raw.
Tomato Rasam
Although the traditional recipe of rasam involves onion, garlic, and turmeric, you can let go of these ingredients and prepare a tangy concoction with tomatoes and tamarind pulp. Add a little bit of jaggery to balance the flavours, and you will realise that this recipe will work wonders. Serve the rasam with steamed rice.
Chole/ Rajma
If you consult a Punjabi about the recipe of chole or rajma without onion and garlic, they will probably laugh at you. However, if you have witnessed the cooking style of Jains or Hindus who do not eat onion or garlic, you can prepare chole or rajma with just tomato gravy, powdered masala, and whole spices. Both curries will pair well with rice, puri, paratha, and roti.
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