Oniontarka Recipes

ONION PAKODA | ONION PAKORA

Steps:

• Slice onions moderately thin and add them to a mixing bowl.
• Add chilies, ginger, curry leaves, pudina and salt to the same mixing bowl.
• Nicely squeeze the onions with your fingers few times without mushing them up.
• Leave it aside for 5 minutes. This helps the onions to release some moisture.
• Then sprinkle besan, ajwain, cashews and more salt if needed.
• Mix everything well to coat the onions with the flour. The mixture will be fairly dry at this moment.
• Add water 2 tbsps each time and mix the flour to make a moist mass of dough.
• The dough must be tight yet very moist and not soggy like batter else they absorb lot of oil while frying.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a kadai until very hot.
• Be careful as it is too hot. Pour this to the dough.
• Immediately the oil will sizzle. Mix the dough with a spoon and not hand as the oil is too hot.
• Heat oil in the same kadai or fry pan for deep frying the pakoda.
• Check if the oil is hot enough in the kadai by sliding a tiny piece of dough first.
• It has to rise and not sink in the oil. Next it should not brown too quickly. This is the right temperature.
• When the oil is hot enough, regulate the flame to medium high.
• Take a small amount of dough and make small pakoda with your fingers and slide them gently in the hot oil.
• Do not add too many pakodas in the pan. They should have some space in the pan to swim around & fry well.
• While frying stir & if needed flip the onion pakodas occasionally for even frying.
• Fry them till they turn crisp & golden. Then transfer them with a ladle to an absorbent tissue placed in a plate or to a colander.
• Continue to make more onion pakoda in batches with the rest of the dough.
• Serve onion pakoda hot with a cup of tea or coffee. You can also serve them with Coriander Chutney, Mint Chutney or Green chutney.
• Or sprinkle some chaat masala or any ground seasoning of your choice.

SAUTEED ONIONS (& MORE ONION RECIPES!)

Steps:

• Slice the onions.
• In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the olive oil or butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste to assess doneness and add a few pinches or salt until the flavor pops.

ONION TARKA

Steps:

• Heat the oil, and then add the onion flakes.
• Briskly stir-fry for about 1 minute.
• They will burn easily so keep them moving.
• Remove from heat and drain.
• Serve hot or cold.

INDIAN SAAG

Steps:

• In a large skillet or wok, melt butter over medium-high heat, and cook and stir cumin seed, chile pepper, garlic, and turmeric until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped mustard greens and spinach a little at a time, adding the tougher parts first (the stems and thicker leaves). Continue to add greens, and cook and stir until all greens have been added and all are thoroughly wilted. Stir in the cumin, coriander, and salt. Cover; reduce heat and simmer until greens are tender, about 10 minutes, adding water as needed to keep the greens moist.

TARKA DAL

Steps:

• Rinse lentils in a strainer using cold water. Pick-over and discard any bad looking lentils. Then place them in a bowl and cover with cold water to soak for half an hour.Drain in the strainer and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large frypan over a medium heat. Add half the mustard seeds and half the cumin seeds. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until they start popping.
• Add the garlic, ginger, curry leaves and half the onion. Stir until soft- about 8 minutes.
• Add the tomato, cashews, turmeric, garam marsala, ground chilli, ground coriander and the vegetable stock. Stir occasionally until thick- roughly 5 minutes.
• Add lentils and enough water to cover the lentils (about 1.5 litres). Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally until the lentils are cooked through and tender - about 1/2 hour.
• In a seperate pan- heat the ghee and add the remaining spices. Stir for a couple of minutes, until fragrant. Add the remaining onion and stir until the onion is golden.
• Combine the onion mix with the lentil mix.
• Add the cream bring to the boil.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve sprinkle chopped coriander over the top.