Peeling the Onion - Every layer is great

I don't know if most people who use onions everyday

are like me, but I certainly take this gift of nature that is practically an everyday essential for granted. This post for this weeks weekend herb blogging is an acknowledgement of that ommision to give credit to this multilayered object that features in various ways in my cooking.

Weekend Herb Blogging is back in its original home at

Kalyn's Kitchen , for this weekend.

Anyhow, I checked the nutritional lowdown on the onion and

the prognosis was pretty good.

So now down to cooking it,

I actually put together a chicken pulao, made with some

leftover Kadhi from yesterday.

A simple meal in a dish recipe sealed

together by the browned onions.

Chicken Pulao (Rice and Chicken Casserole)

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup of basmati rice

2 medium onions chopped finely

2 cloves garlic minced

1/3 cup oil

1 tbsp whole garam masala ( A mixture of cloves, cardamom and cinamon)

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp salt

1 small cornish hen skinned and jointed or 1/2 lb chicken on the bone

1 medium potato peeled and quatered

1.5 cups tomato kadhi

1/2 cup char magaz or sliced almonds

1 cup water

2 tsp ghee

2 tsp rose water (Optional)

Method of Preparation

1. Soak the rice in water for at least one hour, drain and set aside to dry.

2. Heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic for 10 minutes until begining to turn golden brown.

3. Add the garam masala, salt, chicken and cook for 5-7 minutes.

4. Mix in the kadhi and nuts and add the rice and cook for 10 minutes on high, the liquid should be almost absorbed.

5. In the meantime preheat the oven to 375 and bring out a casserole with a tight-fitting lid.

6. Mix in the water and ghee and put this in the casserole, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

8. Bring out off the oven, the rice should be cooked and dry.

9. Sprinkle with rose water if using and serve with a salad.

Some thing else that I do with onions to liven my salads is the following, this is also how I use up leftover red wine, you know the last 1/2 glass that no seems to want to finish. This lasts for about 3 weeks, after that the onions tend to get too tart.

Wine-vinegar soaked red onions

Ingredients

1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup wine vinegar

2 red onions sliced.

Method of Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients and let is sit for at least half and hour before using.