'Chinna vengayam': truly a pearl among veggies

There we were — mother and daughter — tucking into a plate of vegetarian kothu parota. A few spoonfuls later, it dawned on us that the dish contained less of the sautéed parota and more of chopped onions that had been cooked until they were soft.

Given some of my family’s distaste for this tearjerker of a vegetable, my mother’s indulgence for this particular ingredient has diminished drastically. The generous helping of onion in this kothu parota made her nostalgic about onion poriyal, which was apparently a huge favourite among her siblings and cousins, especially in the rainy weather. If nothing else was on hand, it would be the onion poriyal to the rescue.

I listened quietly and had to smile when she said, “Of course today everyone talks about caramelised onions.” This offhand remark brought home to me the similarities of our cooking techniques with those of global cuisine. Think about it! An onion jam is quite similar to our chinna vengayam thokku. The level of sweet or spice may vary but the end result is achieved by sweating the onions and cooking them to a sticky consistency.

An ingredient that is underrated or even taken for granted is the South Indian pearl onion or china vengayam. This variety caramelises quickly when subjected to heat and adds an almost candied onion taste to the dish. The lack of the sharp spicy notes of the Spanish onion or periya vengayam makes it vital in a poriyal and definitely the star ingredient in a traditional sambhar.

A chutney made with small onions  

The dark fudgy onion chutney is a delicious breakfast accompaniment. Friends of ours who enjoyed it with their dosai recently told me about the small onion being used as a natural cure for simple maladies. Boiling them in water along with half a spoonful of natural sugar is a simple remedy for fevers, coughs and colds.

Star ingredient the pearl onions  

My teenager swears by the juice of the small onion as a topical scalp application to combat hair fall. This is because onions contain quercetin , a polyphenolic flavonoid that is beneficial for skin and hair. Raw onion application to bee stings is also supposed to help relieve the pain.

When included in the diet, the quercetin in onions reduces the release of histamines, thereby making the vegetable a natural anti-histamine. It is also said to help reduce inflammation that leads to chronic illnesses.

I must confess that I’ve never really thought much about the small onion in our regular diets. It makes an unbeatable summer treat when eaten raw with fresh green chillies and buttermilk rice. I also enjoy it pickled, caramelised, puréed or simply roasted with a sprig of rosemary. Next on the agenda is an onion poriyal evening with the family while listening to the welcome sound of pelting raindrops.

Chinna vengayam poriyal

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients

Small onions peeled 250 gm

Green chillies 2 or to taste (Can use dried red chillies, red chilli powder or black pepper)

Cold-pressed sesame oil 1 tbsp

Rock salt/Sea salt to taste

Curry leaves, mustard seeds and urad dal for tempering

Method

Slice the onions and set aside. Slit the green chillies and de-seed. Heat the oil in a vadachatti; add the mustard seeds. When it crackles, add the white urad dal and curry leaves. Add the sliced onions and green chillies and sauté on a low flame. Add salt and keep stirring until the onions soften and turn golden brown. Taste, adjust seasoning and take off heat and set aside in a dish. Mixed with hot rice, have as a side with rasam rice, sprinkle over an uthapam, or use as filling for dosai.