Scallion/Green Onion Stir Fry - "Paati Chi Bhaaji"

This long delicate green is tender onion and is called scallion or green onion. In Marathi its called "Paati cha Kanda" which literaly translates to "Leaves of Onion". Now, occasionally I have confused the word scallion with scallop, but these are nowhere in the same food category. One is a vegetable while the latter is a type of seafood. However, always remember that scallion ends with the word "onion" and that will help you remember that scallions are "green onions". This is a vegetable commonly found in Chinese style stir frys and salads, but usually is not used as a standalone agent. This is possibly one of the only preparations that I have come across where this is the star of the show. When you cook scallions, they tend to shrink and reduce significantly in volume, so you must start off with double the volume of these fresh green onions, so you end up with a sufficient quantity for your meal.

Ingredients
2 tbsp oil
1/8 tsp mustard seeds
1/8 tsp cumin/jeera seeds
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 green chilli
4 cups chopped scallions/green onions (use the green leaves as well as the onions)
1 cup besan/chickpea flour
salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp turmeric

Method
In a bowl, mix the chickpea flour, salt and sugar together and set aside
In a large, broad pan, heat some oil. To it add the the mustard and cumin seeds. Once the mustard seeds start sputtering, add the sesame seeds and the green chilli. Once the sesame seeds are slightly golden, add the chopped white tips of the scallions. Cook till they are transparent and then add the turmeric powder. Next add the greens and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Now, sprinkle the chickpea flour mixture into the stirfry and mix well. This will ensure that most of the leaves and onions will get coated with the mixture. Now, let this cook for ten minutes or so on low to medium heat. You can stop cooking it as soon as the mixture tasted cooked, however I prefer to cook it on longer till the flour coated parts start to brown and crisp up. At this stage, turn off the heat. Serve as a side or with chapati.

Tips
Instead of green chilli, you can use 1/2 to 1 tsp chilli powder (adjust to taste). If you use the chilli powder, mix it into the chickpea flour. Always add the white part of the onion a few minutes before the green leafy part. The white part takes a little longer to cook.