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Onion and tomato prices are putting more stress on everyday grocery budgets, with onion prices increasing sharply in many parts of India in September 2026. Supply limitations, delayed arrivals and seasonal factors have all contributed to the price increase. Tomato prices have not followed the same pattern everywhere and have changed across markets. Still, for home cooks, even a small shift in the prices of these two vegetables can affect the day-to-day menu. Onions and tomatoes form the basis of numerous Indian curries, sabzis, dals, and gravies, making it difficult to avoid them entirely. Instead of cutting them out totally, the practical approach is to use smaller quantities, swap them wherever feasible and make everyday dishes around more inexpensive ingredients.
One of the simplest ways to keep everyday meals affordable is to look beyond the typical onion-tomato base. Simple ingredients like curd, besan, peanuts, lemon, amchur and tamarind all add the required flavour to sabzis, whereas preparing seasonal vegetables can help keep the weekly menu changed and not repetitive. Here are a few swaps to try when onion and tomato prices are pushing the grocery budget.
Swap Tomato With Tamarind, Amchur Or Lemon
If tomatoes are especially used in a dish for their sourness and tanginess, you do not always need to use them in the same quantity. Using tamarind pulp can add a sharper tang to dals, sambhar-style vegetables and even tamarind-based curries, whereas amchur works perfectly well when used in dry aloo, bhindi and cabbage sabzis.
Lemon juice is another option, but be sure to add it after switching off the flame so the fresh acidity is evident. You can also mix a little tomato with one of these ingredients rather than removing it totally. This small swap lets you stretch a handful of tomatoes for about 4 to 5 days easily, and also use them in places where they have to be the main hero.
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Exchange Onion With Besan For Body
Onion often gives sweetness, texture and body to the gravies, but besan can help make a thicker vegetable gravy without having to use many onions. Lightly roast some gram flour until you get a nutty aroma, then whisk it with water to make a smooth paste before adding it to the dish. It works especially well with lauki, kaddu, capsicum and other yoghurt-based gravies.
Whenever using besan as a base, cook it thoroughly so that the raw flour flavour vanishes. You can season the mixture with cumin, turmeric, chilli and other spices before adding the vegetables. Once prepared, you will get a thicker, more substantial vegetable that pairs perfectly with roti or rice without you missing the traditional onion-heavy masala base.
Use Curd Instead Of A Tomato Gravy
When the main appeal of a tomato-based curry is its tangy, a bit creamy gravy, yoghurt can change the direction of the dish completely. Simply whisk some thick curd with a little besan and add it slowly to the cooked vegetables over a low flame, and keep on mixing continuously or else the curd will split. This works especially well with lauki and bhindi.
Slightly sour homemade curd can add enough acidity that you will feel very little need to add tomatoes additionally. Add a cumin, curry leaf or dried chilli tempering at the end to give an extra layer of flavour.
Use Onion As A Flavour Boost, Not The Base
If you have to use two or three onions in a recipe, try using one smaller onion and make the rest of the flavour with ginger, garlic, cumin and whole spices. Sauté the onion properly until they turn golden so that even a smaller amount adds sweetness and depth to the dish.
For gravies, ground peanuts or cashew paste can add some of the thickness that extra onion usually adds. You can also finish the dish with a little browned onion rather than cooking a large amount into the gravy. This keeps the onion flavour evident while also using a smaller quantity of it.
(Image credit: Freepik)
Make A No-Onion-Tomato Tadka
Some everyday sabzis do not actually need a gravy base, and sometimes it is simply added to boost the taste. For those, skip using onion and tomato and make flavour with the help of a strong tadka instead. In a pan, heat a little oil or ghee, then add cumin or mustard seeds, dried red chillies, curry leaves, garlic and a pinch of hing. Pour this over the cooked potatoes, lauki, beans or pumpkin and garnish with coriander or lemon juice.
This method works particularly well when you want to get a quick, flavourful meal and also helps keep the need for both onion and tomato out of the dish without making it dull.
