Black eyed peas curry
This black eyed peas curry with a freshly ground masala is a delicious lentils recipe. Use dried peas soaked in water overnight, and this curry is ready in <30 mins.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup black eyed peas (I used the red Chauli - soaked overnight)
- 3 tomatoes medium
- 1 onion medium , peeled and chopped roughly
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup coconut fresh
- 2 tsps coriander seeds
- 3 chillies dried red
- 1/2 tsp ginger grated
- 1 cinnamon medium stick
- 3 - 4 cloves
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- asafoetida
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder or rasam/sambar powder. 1 tsps
- coriander . Lots of finely chopped fresh
Instructions
- Use a pressure cooker with separators. In one compartment, place the rehydrated peas with just enough water to cover.
- Halve the tomatoes and place in another compartment. No water required in this.
- You can cook rice in the third compartment if you want to serve this curry with rice. Pressure cook for 2 whistles and keep on sim for 5-7 minutes and remove from flame. Open when cool enough.
- The peas should be cooked to very soft but maintain their shape. Tug off the tomato skins, mash with fingers and keep aside.
- In a large kadai, heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1 tsp cumin seeds, fat pinch of asafoetida. Once the cumin splutters, add the ground paste to the oil and fry on medium flame for around 5 minutes, until oil separates and the onion and garlic is cooked off.
- To the cooked paste, add the cooked black eyed peas and the mashed tomatoes. Add turmeric, salt and garam masala powder. Bring to a simmer. Add some water if it is too dry. Let this simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from flame and add fresh coriander.
Notes
If you don't have / use / like a pressure cooker-
Boil the soaked beans in plenty of water for around 45 minutes (until really soft) and blanche the tomatoes in boiling water, peel and mash them with fingers-proceed with recipe.
Serve with steamed rice or rotis.
The fresh mocchai beans are still in season. You must give this recipe a try with them. No soaking required, directly pressure cook as directed above.