Lobia Masala | Black Eyed Peas Curry
Comforting, easy and nutritious lobia masala is a hug-in-a-bowl kind of simple. We all need a go-to recipe like that! Enjoy
Servings: 4 servings
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup (200 g) dry black eyed peas
- 2.5 tablespoon (40 g) ghee
- 2 medium (220 g) onions, finely diced
- 2 green chillis cut into 3 pieces each
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon paprika or Kashiri red chilli powder (essential for the colour)
- 0.5 teaspoon turmeric
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 2 cup water
- chopped coriander for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the black eyed peas for a minimum of an hour, or up to 8 hours. I soaked mine for 6 hours. Drain well before using
- Heat the ghee in a deep pot. Add the onions and cook on medium high, until the onions are transluscent
- Once the onions are transluscent, add the garlic, all the spices and a splash of water. Cover and allow this to simmer on very low heat for about 3-4 minutes
- Uncover and add the tomato puree. Fry this on a medium to high heat well, until the tomato puree has blended into the onion masala
- Add in the black eyed peas. Toast these in the ghee and masala for 5 minutes, stirring often
- Add 2.5 cups of water, bring to a boil, then allow everything to simmer covered on low for 1.5-2hrs, until the beans are tender.
- Adjust for spices and see whether you are happy with the consistency of the gravy. If you prefer a thicker gravy, feel free to dry out some of the water. If you prefer a more watered down gravy, add water half a cup at a time and allow it to simmer for a few moments covered
- Garnish with coriander and serve
Notes
I like using homemade ghee in this recipe as it adds to the depth of colour, as well as lending a beautiful flavour. You can substitute the ghee for oil if you so wish. I'd say 4tbsp oil should be fine for this recipe, but you can adjust this to your preference.
To cook this recipe with tinned or pre-cooked black eyed peas, use 3 ½ cups (650g) cooked black eyed peas (drained weight). You can reduce the water added to 1 cup, and reduce the cook time to 30-45 minutes.
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