Priyanka Naik's Clever Way To Use Onion Peels In The Kitchen - Exclusive

Most people don't think twice before tossing their onion peels to the wayside. However, with the increasing emphasis on zero-waste kitchens and the ever-climbing price of food, vegan and sustainable food chef Priyanka Naik wants you to reconsider this practice. In an exclusive interview, Naik shared her clever way to repurpose onion peels. And no, the answer isn't composting.

Naik suggests taking your scraps and turning them into homemade onion powder. The process is simple: Clean and dry your peels, then grind them using a blender or a mortar and pestle. Naik likes a mortar and pestle because "you can control how much of it you grind and the texture of it." However, a kitchen blender such as a Magic Bullet will do the job if you want that commercial-grade fine powder.

Naik's technique isn't just for onion peels, either. She says it can also be used for ginger and garlic peels. Considering how expensive dried herbs are at the store, this is no small savings.

While the original form makes them hard to eat, the peels of onions, ginger, and garlic can enhance the flavor of many dishes. Even without grinding them to a powder, you can still put these peels to good use. One way is to add them to a simmering pot to infuse the flavor. When the dish is done, pull them out much the way you would a bay leaf.

Alternatively, save your scraps in the freezer. Then, when you have enough, use them to make a fresh pot of vegetable stock. This method also provides a beneficial outlet for excess vegetable scraps, such as carrot shavings. Your scraps will create a flavorful broth, and the onion peels will help give it a rich color. 

Many people may be surprised when they find out how much flavor is packed into the parts of these herbs that are generally thrown away. As Naik notes, "If you don't care about the environment, you do care about your wallet." So next time, think twice before discarding those peels. You paid for them; you may as well use them.