String the beans and chop it finely. Finely chop onions.

Add a ¼ a teaspoon of salt to the beans, sprinkle a few drops of water and microwave for about 5 to 6 minutes until soft. You can also steam beans. Keep it aside.

Wash and soak lentils together for 30 minutes in hot water.

Drain the water completely and grind it coarsely with red chillies, garlic, black pepper, cumin seeds and required salt.

Now steam the coarsely ground dal for 10 minutes or until cooked. You can use a steamer, an idli pan or in the pressure cooker without putting the weight.

Once cooked remove from the pan and leave it to cool for a few minutes. Then crumble the dal with your hands or in a blender. Now our crumbled dal is ready.

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add asafoetida, curry leaves and chopped onions.

Sauté onions till translucent and then add the crumbled lentil mixture and mix well. Cook on medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Now add the cooked beans (drain and squeeze out the excess water completely and then add) and mix well with the crumbled dal.

Cook covered for another 3-5 minutes and remove from heat.

Beans Paruppu Usili is ready to be served it with hot steamed rice and rasam or vathal kuzhambu. I love having it even with plain hot steamed rice.