Green beans with meat and Lentils with Shallots

I always thought Shallots were small red onions but looks like they are a totally different thing. And so are pearl onions. They are more closely related to leeks than onions. Back in India, in the olden days onions used to be pretty small. Only after I came to US did I ever see an onion which weights close to 1 lb but has no taste what so ever. Anyway, the other day I got some small red onions (or shallot...or whatever they are ) from the Indian store and I made dal with it and I loved it. But only pain with those little onions is peeling them. As is, I hate peeling any onions and these were tiny. But NO PAIN NO GAIN

Green Beans with Meat (French cut green beans with lamb curry)

Green beans with lamb

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups frozen french cut green beans thawed or a can drained
2. 1/2 lb lamb or goat cut into bite size pieces
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder,ginger-garlic paste
4. 1 medium onion sliced thin
5. 2 tablespoons oil

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add all the other ingredients except green beans and fry for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook for 3 whistles. After the steam escapes, open the cooker and add green beans and simmer till the gravy thicken. About 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Choti Pyaz Toor Dal (Lentils with shallots in Tamarind juice)

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup toor dal
2. 10-12 shallots peeled and halfed if big
3. 3 cups juice from a small lemon sized tamarind
4. 1 big or 2 small green chillies chopped
5. 1/2 tablespoon each of oil, coriander powder
6. 2 garlic pod chopped fine
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal , chana dal, turmeric
8. 1 teaspoon salt
9. 2 green chillies
10. few curry leaves

Pressure cook the dal with turmeric and 2 cups water. After the seam escapes, open the cooker and add all the powders and shallots and green chillies and tamarind juice and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal for 2 minutes. Add garlic and red chillies and curry leaves and fry for 3 more minutes. Add this tempering to the dal and bring to boil again. Simmer for 5 minutes and garnish with cilantro and enjoy