Sambar Vengayam

Over time, Onions have become one of the most used vegetables in popular, mainstream Indian cuisine, but those who know it, know how much more flavourful the smaller bulbs, or shallots are. And the superior flavor is not the singular advantage, it is also about the ease with which one can begin cultivating them, even for the most strapped-for-time urban gardeners!

These small onions, or Sambar Vengayam (Sambar Onion) as they are known here locally, are easily available at most roadside vegetable vendors. On examining the bulbs, one would notice that they have small roots emerging from the lower end, and it is from here, when the bulbs are planted, that new roots will emerge enabling the plant to grow and multiply. In the case of bulbs that are large, it may be that there are two onions together within one outer skin, and these can be easily separated and planted individually.

When planting, the bulbs can be spaced quite close to one another as they do not require much lateral space. They would do well in an airy mix of topsoil, compost & coco-peat, and in flower pots just as well as in a raised bed in the garden. And they are fine with moist soil, whereas flooding may impede their growth.

When the green stems, or scapes as they are known botanically, have achieved desired length, they may be simply broken off and used culinarily as one would use spring onion – in salads and stir fries.

At home, if you had just 10 pots and planted a new batch of bulbs in each every week, it could even mean the end of your needing to buy onions anymore!