In Jain Dharma, for laypersons (śrāvaks and śrāvikās):

1. All types of onions and shallots are to be avoided

- Red onion, white onion, spring onion, green onion - Shallots / small onions - Leeks and all other similar “kand” from the same family

Reasons: - They are root vegetables (kand-mool) – uprooting kills the whole plant and many tiny lives in the soil (more hiṁsā). - They belong to the pungent “panch kanda / panch shalya” group (onion, garlic, leeks, etc.) which is considered to disturb the mind and increase passions, not suitable for spiritual progress. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. This applies in both traditions

- Śvetāmbara: Generally very strict – all onions/shallots/garlic are avoided in daily Jain food. - Digambara: Principle is the same (ahimsā and simplicity). In practice, some households may be a bit more flexible with other root vegetables, but onion and garlic are normally avoided by Jains in both traditions. ( jainknowledge.com)

1. What to use instead for taste

Laypersons usually replace onion/shallot with: - Tomatoes, gourds (lauki, tori, pumpkin, etc.) - Cumin, coriander, pepper, mild use of hing (as per family tradition) - Other non-root, non-leafy vegetables and simple spices

In short: A Jain layperson should not eat any kind of onion or shallot. All varieties are included in the “not allowed” group in traditional Jain diet.

You can read related explanations here: Why Jains avoid garlic and onion Spices like onion/garlic/leeks that are avoided