Lunchtime can be one of the most taxing times of the day, especially if you are the one in charge of preparing the lunch. Problem doubles, if you only have limited ingredients to work around with. Onions and garlic are two ingredients used freely across almost all Indian dishes. But there are a few who like to maintain a safe distance from the two, Queen Elizabeth 2 included. No kidding, the queen despises the smell of the two and thus the Royal cooks are often instructed to make food without the same.
But coming back to India, the Jain community is famous for its special ‘no garlic and no onion’ veg cuisine. Even during Navratri, when many Hindus are following the Satvik diet, they are required to give up onions and garlic too. Now, cooking without onions and garlic can be difficult, but it is certainly not impossible. Here are some delish veg recipes you can make without onion and garlic
Dum Aloo Without Onion And Garlic
Dum aloo is a dish that is prepared in myriad ways across the country, for instance, the Kashmiri Dum aloo is notably red in appearance because of the presence of Kashmiri red chillies, whereas the Bengali Aloo’r Dom is particularly peppy and punchy owing to the presence of multiple masalas. The uniting factor is of course the method of ‘dum’. ‘Dum’ is simply a technique where anything is cooked in a closed or sealed vessel, until the contents inside are infused with all the lovely flavours and juices. In this recipe, boiled potatoes, cashew nuts, green chilli paste, curd, poppy seeds, char magaz, green cardamom, cloves, garam masala et al come together to create absolute magic.
Paneer Masala Without Onion And Garlic
Your favourite paneer recipe without onions and garlic. It is possible. This creamy, tangy, deliciously rich curry can now very well be part of your Satvik meal. How do you ask? Just believe in the incredible goodness of fresh tomatoes, whole red chillies, fresh cream, ginger paste, bay leaves, garam masala, cinnamon, cardamom, and peppercorns. Pair it with hot and soft roti or rice for the best experience.
Chole Without Onion And Garlic
Just like paneer, chole too could be made without your everyday staples like garlic and onion, and you wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference with this yummy recipe. Chole or chickpeas is a pan-India favourite, but in the North, you get to see various avatars of a simple chole curry. Here of course, not just the plain white chole (kabuli) but also the green matar are combined for a protein-filled treat. Hing, poppy seeds paste, magaj, and tomato puree make the curry dense with rich flavour.
Dalma Without Onion And Garlic
Dalma is a popular Odia comfort food which is essentially made with mixed vegetables and lentils (dal). A selection of vegetables is simmered along with dal to make a wholesome curry that is served with hot steamed rice and some fritters on the side. With so many vegetables and lentils in the mix, you may like to think onions and garlic are an indispensable part of the curry? Well, think again. Click here for the recipe.
Pepe Shukto
The classic Bengali 'niramish' delicacy, Shukto is a mixed-veg dish Bengalis often like to pair with dal and rice. It is slightly drier in consistency, and made with a variety of local, seasonal vegetables. Since food is consumed in courses, Shukto is one of the first things to be served, as the idea is to move from bitter to sweet. The star ingredient of this Shukto is raw papaya or pepe, it is mashed and mixed with bori (lentil dumplings), bay leaf, panch phoron et al for a punchy dish.
Veg Pulao No Onion No Garlic
You didn’t think we were going to conclude the dish without a single rice dish? This veg pulao, brimming with goodness of ghee, carrots, green beans, potatoes and basmati rice is enough to be the highlight of your day, without a trace of onion and garlic.
