Introduction:

A veggie among a veggie, or more apt to say a "jain", finds it often difficult to cook the luscious gravy vegetables, as most of them include onions, garlic, potato, etc. which are taboo to jain food. Having faced this problem with many people and relations whom I have invited, it inspired me to come out with an effort to cook their favourite sabzis, sans onions,etc.

Popularity of jain food is quite obvious by the number of restaurants the world over, having a section in their menu which specifies the jain dishes available. This is mainly due the presence of Indians in practically every country of the world, and their innate liking to "eat out" and eat "select foods".

Jains are basically vegetarians with further taboos on their food, which bars the intake of some veggies, esp. onions, garlic, potato, and root vegetables. But the degree and strictness to which it is followed, depends on individuals, and their family eating habits. Many convenient substitutes are there to enable one to make similar dishes, and therefore enjoy the goodness of the recipes.

Substitutes:

For example raw bananas can be used as potato for all practical purposes. Boil, chop, smash, grate, etc. as required.

Chopped stirfried cabbage can be used in place of stirfried onions, in many recipes, Instead of onion puree, one may used a puree made of stirfried cabbage, some paneer, and roasted coconut.

If fresh ginger is taboo, you may try using dry ginger powder but in very small quantities.

A dash of cinnamon, ajwain, or some herbs, may be used for flavouring instead of garlic. Make sure the flavour is very mild, or it will tend to overpower the taste of the dish.

The four (this time it is five months) months of monsoon or "chaturmash", as they are known in jainism and some other indian sects and regions, are considered to be months of "abstinence" and fasting. Many jains abstain from onions,garlic,potatoes,and other root vegetables.

The stricter ones do not even eat most green leafy vegetables,except coriander and mint. Still stricter ones don't eat any green vegetables (or lilothri, as they are called) at all during the first two months at least.

An aesthtetic environ prevails in that the jain sadhus (saints) preach penance,abstinence and ahimsa(non- violence).

During these months proliferation of life is very rampant not only in plants, but also in insects,worms, microscopic bacteria and organisms which thrive on these plants.Hence, the jains abstain from consumption of these. Curries made from dried ingredients like pulses, flours, dehydrated vegetables,etc. are made. The first two months of the monsoon known as shrawan and bhadharwa are followed more strictly that the two latter ones .

Jains go a step further than the vegetarian diet in that they do not consume onions, garlic, potatoes, and certain other vegetables.

Jain food habits believe in "ahimsa" not only in policy but in aspects of day to day living. Hence the practice of strict vegetarianism, walking shoulder to should with all castes and creeds of the world (one has never found a communal riot involving jains), and following it in entire everyday lifestyles.

Specifically a jain dish would mean one which does not contain onions, potatoes, garlic.

In the monsoon season a jain dish would also not include carrots, radishes and other tuberous roots like them, no leafy greens, and no fresh vegetables in the very strict cases.

Many such jain recipes have already been covered in the lists already online. A few popular examples are: Some rajasthani dishes are purely jainlike ghaat, ghatte ki sabzi, pathod ki sabzi, all rajasthani sweet dishes, all daals, without using greens except coriander, curry leaves and mint, papad ki sabzi, paneer dishes without greens, dehydrated vegetables like rajma, chawli, moong, ker,saangri,kumtia,gundha,etc.(these are particularly cultivated and dried in rajasthan, and sold in large quantitites in rajasthan. In fact it is one of The few thriving businesses of this state). Daldhokli, choota dal chawal, khichidi and kadhi are others.

Gujarati dishes already online like matri, papdi, khandvi, are also jain preparations.

Other like raithas (ghari, imli, boondi), rotis (phulkas, jaadi roti, layered roti, besan parathas), all pajushan specials are jain preparations.