Pyaz, Kanda and Onion Types: Which One to Buy for Desi Food

Your curry tastes sharp and raw even though you browned the onions for fifteen minutes. Or it comes out sweeter and paler than you expected. The recipe just said "onions", and the shop had five kinds. Pyaz is a simple word with a lot of different vegetables behind it.

Here is what each onion is, what it is called in desi kitchens, and which one fits which job.

The names, side by side

Which onion for which job

Gravy base (qorma, karahi, salan). Yellow or brown onions are the dependable choice. They have enough sugar to brown deeply and enough bite to balance tomatoes. In many desi recipes, "onion" means this kind. For chicken qorma, they melt into the gravy.

Red onions give a slightly sharper, pinker gravy. They work well in karahi and for raw salads, but can taste sulphurous if under-cooked. If a curry tastes harsh, cook the onions longer on lower heat until the raw smell disappears.

White onions are crisp and clean. They are common in Mexican and some desi street food, and are good for chaat, salads and raita. They brown less richly than yellow ones, so a base with only white onions may taste lighter.

Fried onions (birista) for biryani. Use yellow onions, sliced thin and evenly, fried in hot oil until deep golden. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper, since they continue to darken. Burnt birista is bitter and ruins the layers of chicken biryani. The method is fast and unforgiving; do not leave it.

Spring onions are not a substitute for bulb onions in a base. They are a garnish and a quick-cook ingredient. Use the white part in stir-fries and the green tops sprinkled at the end.

Shallots and small onions suit South Indian sambar and some Bengali cooking, where sweetness matters. If a recipe asks for small onions, a shallot is a close match; a regular onion will do if you reduce the quantity slightly.

Quantity: how much is "one onion"?

Recipes assume a medium onion of roughly 150 to 200 g (about 5 to 7 oz), which gives around a cup of chopped onion. Many supermarket onions in the US and UK are larger. If your onion weighs 300 g or more, use about half to two-thirds. The ratio of onion to meat and tomato changes the gravy's sweetness and thickness.

For aloo gosht, where onions provide body, a weighed amount is more reliable than "two onions". Cook meat according to the dish; for minced meat reach 71 C (160 F), and for chicken 74 C (165 F).

How to cook them properly

1. Slice or chop evenly, so pieces cook at the same rate.
2. Heat oil on medium and add the onions with a pinch of salt, which draws out water and helps them soften.
3. Stir regularly. They go from translucent to pale gold to deep brown; do not rush with high heat.
4. If they start to catch, add a splash of water and scrape the bottom.

The colour you stop at matters. Translucent onions give a pale, mild gravy. Golden gives a balanced one. Dark brown gives a deep, sweet one but needs care. Many Pakistani recipes call for "golden brown", the middle stage.

Storage and tears

Store whole onions in a cool, dry, dark place with airflow, away from potatoes, which can make them sprout or spoil faster. Cut onions go in a sealed container in the fridge and should be used within a few days. To reduce tears, chill the onion for 30 minutes before slicing and use a sharp knife; the knife and cutting board guide covers technique.

Quick shopping tips

• Buy firm onions with papery, dry skins and no soft spots.
• A 2 kg (about 4.5 lb) bag is enough for about a week of regular desi cooking for two to three people.
• If a recipe is for a big batch, buy yellow onions in bulk; they keep well.
• For salads, pick red or white, and soak sliced onion in cold water for ten minutes to soften the bite.

Keep a note in your pantry list

Mark which type you usually stock. Degchi's pantry tracker lists onion with its alternate names, so recipes written with "pyaz" or "kanda" still match your pantry; try it at degchi.matrixinn.net/#try. For more regional names, see aloo, alu, batata and potato names and coriander, dhania and cilantro. Next time a recipe says "two onions", you will know which ones to reach for and how much.