Rude Food by Vir Sanghvi: In praise of the onion

Only Indian cuisine makes the humble onion the star of the show, whether it’s in the sambhar or as an accompaniment

Whenever people would ask me what my favourite vegetable was, I would answer without the slightest hesitation. “The potato, of course,” I would say.

We Indians use onions in most dishes. We also like cooked onions when they are the stars of the show, not just supporting players (Shutterstock)

A French Onion Soup is based on caramelising a mound of onions but the liquid part is basically beef consommé

In actual fact, garlic is also a vegetable. Science is clear. Garlic is a vegetable that belongs to the larger onion family

There was a time when, if you went to a North Indian restaurant, they would offer ‘Sirka Pyaaz’ (vinegared onions) as an accompaniment

Kerala dishes like Ulli Theeyal take shallots and makes them the star of a gravy where coconut, coriander, chillies and methi mingle together in tamarind water

Many say the drumstick is the king of the sambhar vegetables. But the onions win. Pop one into your mouth, and each layer melts away, releasing a seductive mix of sambhar and onion.