God created the world and rested on the seventh day, the day of Sabbath!  A version close to my heart is that God took his time and leisurely, very  lovingly created the Universe, the flora – fauna, sunsets, the stars and moon all painted in a smorgasbord of divine colours. It was Eden, a paradise! He later created man and woman, perfect in all ways – the movement, limbs, digits, the heart or digestive system. Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and all the collective consciousness has not been able to replicate a millionth fraction of this Universe. A true Mastermind!

He had a quirky sense of humour, he created a Pandora’s box with conviction that it would one day be opened. He rested indeed and lay back to enjoy the drama unfold and fold up. His whimsy could be seen in the elephant’s trunk which had its own use but did the pachyderm have to be quite so large. Snapdragons and butterflies. A rose with thorns, a chameleon which changed its colours. The human mind which is non static fragile even imperfect.

A unique creation is most certainly a vegetable that makes one cry and exult. Pretty shell pink with many layers that can be  peeled. Cubed, sliced, ringed, quartered or even whole the character changes. It is the onion. Impossible to chop as it invariably brings tears to one’s eyes. Added  to salads raw, fried for curries, deep fried and added to do pyaaza or the khow suey. With a Dhansaak it has to be cubed into kachumbar, Punjabi cuisine needs to be accompanied with quarters raw. Pearls, smaller whole and round,  pickled in vinegar are a glorious accompaniment to Mughlai food. The food, in the Oriental world would be incomplete without this exotic add on.

Tastes divine for some, with a strong odour which lingers on forever yet it is said to be an aphrodisiac. If not quirky or sadist then what can the Creator be termed? The bane of the religious who wish to abstain and remain celibate, banished from edibles for lots of Indian communities. My family was one such. We grew up with tasty food without any onion or garlic. My grandmother did not allow it so we refrained and did not miss it ever. Be it Chhole, rajma or kofta, it was without onion always. The occasional restaurant visit by us, the small reddish pink bulbous pickled onions were gorged with much relish.

One never thought much about this almost humble vegetable till the prices skyrocketed in 2019. Cooks despaired about cooking curries without it. No salads or fried bhindi. For me the food started tasting better. The food you grow up with is what stays with you for life.  I love my “sattwik”, non aphrodisiacal fare for a change.

As we juggle our grocery budgets scrambling to buy kilos from any sale which offers a discount. Alas it is for limited quantities and hoarding becomes an impossibility. One has relentlessly crossed it out from shopping lists and eateries have quietly increased prices. The sizzlers sizzle with inflated rates. The “muriwala” asserts that he has not increased prices but the onions are non existent, the muri less flavourful. We forgive in sympathy rather empathy.

Critics and experts and onionomists opine that the prices are unnatural as our Finance Minister unwittingly commented that the onion price issue did not affect her much as she and her family didn’t use this pungent vegetable bulb prominently on their diet.  Nonchalant, unmindful apathy for the Bharatiya Janata.

The country rises in revolt against pet (stomach)  puja, temples and mosques. CAA, Kashmir and GDP, the onion register falters in spurts as we try to adapt our recipes and budgets. Pyaaz ka Pyaada lagaaye hamaari sarkar. Shatranj ke khilari koi na jeete ya maane haar…