I really dislike chopping onions; for a big pot of Masoor Dal I need 4 chopped onions.
I’ve been using a Surfas chopper but lately it isn’t chopping through outer part of onion. Do the blades eventually get dull thus you need to buy a new one? Do you recommend one you like?
I use a mini chopper for serranos, ginger, etc.
It’s no longer on Amazon but there are many other brands offered.
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Ah! Thank you. For some reason I can’t get a good look, but I know what you mean. I’ve wondered if one of those would earn a spot in my kitchen.
Mostly I’m wondering how much masoor dal you’re making that takes 4 onions @Aubergine 
I have one of those choppers, I think I’ve used it… twice.
I like the mini FP attachment to my Braun immersion blender if I want an onion or two chopped, less than than I usually do by hand.
I assume you have a full size FP — any reason it wouldn’t be useful for 4 onions? (You’d be using the chopper 8 times assuming the onions are exactly the right size.)
@shrinkrap heres a working link
I haven’t tried the Cuisinart for chopping onions.
I needed 2 pints of chopped onions so only needed 3 onions.
How much dal is that for?
2 cups of Masoor dal. Makes a big pot. I’ll give some to friends, freeze some.
Larger volumes to be cooked down, food processor. Smaller volumes or uber precision, knife. GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), french fry cutter.
Wow! That is a lot of Onions for a Dal.
I think I use about 1/3 C (2.5Oz) of chopped Onion for 1/2 C of Red Masoor Dal.
Was your original Recipe written for an South Asian Audience?
Onions in India are quite small compared to here in the States.
Agreed, FP work fine for an application like Dal and it is not a “One Trick Pony”.
Maybe I’ll try the FP next time. Yes, recipe is South Indian, can of coconut milk and curry leaves.
Interesting. I would imagine that the Recipe listed the Onions by number rather than Weight or Volume?
I double the recipe, for a regular recipe it’s 1 cup of red lentils, 2 onions.
Please please please learn how to use a sharp knife instead of this crap.
It takes me literally 30 seconds to fine dice an onion with a sharp knife and my knife skills used to anything but great - trust me.
It’s the same reason I never use my mandoline cutter - I can fine dice everyhting by hand with a sharp knife (unless I’m making very finely cut thin slices of salads or dauphinoise potatoes, which I make very rarely)
If I can learn it, so can you - trust me, I used to be a complete hack at this.
Typically Onions in India are much smaller than here. About half the Size ±
Indian Onions:
Small: 50 grams
Medium: 75 grams
Large: 100 Grams
American Onions:
Small: 100 grams
Medium: 150 grams
Large: 200 grams
And south Indian sambhar onions are the size of shallots
Yep.
Even smaller in my Experience, large Pearl Onion sized.
Really my Point was that when using Recipes meant for domestic Indian if Onions are are noted by the Piece you need to adjust when using American Produce.
The 4 C of chopped Onion : 2 C Masoor Dal seems way too much to me and I doubt that the Recipe meant to use that much.
Years ago, my sister gave me a Pampered Chef chopper. I gave it a try but never really fell in love so I gave it away.
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Interesting read.
I hated to throw my chopper in the trash can but I felt I had no choice. Chopping blade was dull, onion wouldn’t go all the way through. Very frustrating.
