Cut costs with homemade kanda substitutes

Thickness is keyReshma Mane founder homechef Every AromaI have made dishes where onions can be omitted or substituted This happened especially when the prices of onions had skyrocketed earlier as well As a home chef I had to find substitutes to maintain our costs and taste and texture We are talking about red onions here the most common ones used in Indian cookingOnions have a pungent tad spicy depending on how fresh they are and sweet taste I have learnt over time that onions chopped and used in Indian food give the body to the dish The thick curry you see is the frying of onions mdash lots of it that gets you there Hence the substitute has to do just thatYou can use nut paste cashews almonds walnuts watermelon seeds balanced and blended to a smooth paste This will give the curry the desired thickness and sweetness It is said the final colour of the dish depends on how well you fry your onions But in the absence of that and for the same result the frying of our spice powders red chilli powder regional spice powder with gingergarlic paste more quantity than usual can get you there A little sugar can be added to enhance the taste of the overall masalaThere is a Lucknow dish called Lucknowi chicken which I make For it onions are used only in the form of birista mdash fried brown onions which give it that darkish colour But if not used we just fry the masala as mentioned earlier a little more to give that dark colourA mix of desiccated coconut cashews poppy seeds and charoli can also give a perfect substitute to onions In recent times I have come across soya granules which I have been told is used to give the curry thickness and body Combine this with the above and voila I donrsquot think you will miss onions Also note that these are substitutes Hence the taste cannot be exactly replicated as when onions are usedHirwa chicken serves 2INGREDIENTSgtgt 12 kg chickengtgt 1 bunch spinachgtgt 2 green chilliesgtgt 2 to 3 sprigs mintgtgt 2 to 3 sprigs coriandergtgt 12 cup yogurtgtgt 2 to 3 green cardamomgtgt 12 inch cinnamon stickgtgt 14 cup poppy seedsgtgt 14 cup desiccated coconutgtgt 1 tbsp ginger garlic pastegtgt 2 tsp garam masala powdergtgt Salt to tastegtgt Oil for fryingMETHODMarinate the chicken with yogurt and salt Keep aside for at least 30 minutes Boil the poppy seeds for about 10 minutes drain the water and in a blender along with the coconut blend to a smooth paste Add water as needed Boil spinach for a few minutes drain the water and blend it with green chili mint and corianderIn a kadai add oil once hot add the cardamom and cinnamon stick Add ginger garlic paste and fry well Next add the marinated chicken with the marination and cover Cook till the chicken is done Add the blended spinach poppy seeds paste and let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes Add garam masala powder and adjust the salt Semi thick curry is what we are looking for Serve hotFocus on the umamiRiya Chandrakant Gala chef and founder thebrownkitchenI am Jain so naturally I have tried making many dishes before that do not include onions The taste of onion is umami You can use ready mixes like garam masala or Jain pav bhaji masala to substitute it and add a similar flavour to your gravy Ingredients that can be used as an alternative include cashews green bell pepper and cabbage They will help thicken the gravy For a more enhanced taste add some soaked Kashmiri chillies with tomato pureeKashmiri chilli and tomato pureeIn dishes like biryani a good substitute for the root vegetable can be carrots and French beans But in a burrito bowl for instance add jalapenos to do the trick You can also opt for an oniongarlic paste but minus the onions For this add capsicum tomato red chilli Kashmiri chilli and ginger Make a paste of all these ingredients and you have the best substitute for the pasteBurrito bowlINGREDIENTSgtgt 2 cups cooked ricegtgt 3 bell peppers finely choppedgtgt 1 zucchini optionalgtgt 1 tbsp oreganogtgt 1 tbsp chilli flakesgtgt Salt as per tasteFor rajma red kidney beansgtgt 1 cup cooked rajma beansgtgt 2 to 3 chopped tomatoes and soaked Kashmiri chilli pureegtgt 1 tbsp oilgtgt 14 tsp turmericgtgt 1 tbsp dhaniya jeera powdergtgt 1 tsp rajma masala JainFor salsagtgt 1 green bell peppergtgt 1 tomatogtgt 9 to 10 finely chopped jalapentildeosgtgt Freshly chopped coriandergtgt Mixed herbsgtgt 1 tsp lemon juicegtgt Pink salt as per tasteMETHODFor rice Pour oil add your vegetables to it and sauteacute until they are cooked Add herbs and salt as per taste and the cooked riceFor rajma Pour oil add the tomato puree and the masalas mentioned above followed by cooked rajma beans Let it cook until the rajma is softenedFor salsa Take a bowl add all the ingredients for salsa and mix well Finally take a bowl and first add a layer of rice Spread some mayonnaise followed by a layer of rajma and a layer of salsa Grate cheese according to your taste and crushed nachos before serving