This vegan black eyed peas curry is satisfying and hearty. It pairs well with rice or rotis. Delicious curry.
Lobia or black eyed peas are legumes that are high in protein and vitamins.
Making a vegan black eyed peas curry is a simple yet delicious way of cooking it. This recipe is spicy. You can adjust the heat as per your taste.
You may also like: Chana Masala Recipe, Instant Pot Dal, Matar Paneer Recipe, Punjabi Kadhi Recipe.
This is a perfect recipe for any weekday or weeknight lunch or dinner.
It is perfect in the lunchbox as well.
Stepwise Instructions
Wash and soak 1 cup black eyed peas in water overnight or for 4 hours.
The beans will double or triple in size. Drain and keep aside.
Instant Pot Instructions
Blend together onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, tomato and coconut to form a thick paste.
Heat Instant pot in saute mode. Add oil and heat. Add mustard seeds and allow to sputter. Add cumin seeds and let sputter.
Add whole spices cloves, pepper, cinnamon, bay leaf and cardamom and fry for 30 seconds.
Add the blended onion tomato coconut paste and mix well.
Cover with a glass lid and cook for 6 minutes on high in Saute mode.
Add turmeric, cayenne (if using), paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder, salt, coriander powder and sambar powder or garam masala powder and mix well.
Cook for a couple of minutes more on Saute mode.
Now add the drained black eyed peas along with 1.5 cups water.
Mix well and pressure cook for 8 minutes.
Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then open the vault and release the remaining pressure.
Your black eyed peas curry is ready.
Add tamarind paste and cook for a minute more in Saute mode. Taste and season. Garnish with cilantro.
You can add more water if you want a thinner curry.
Serve hot with boiled rice and a salad on the side.
You can also make this recipe in a manual pressure cooker or in a pan on stove. Manual pressure cooker instructions are given on the recipe card.
FAQs
Cooking time is reduced if you soak the beans before cooking. But if you don't have time to soak, a quick soak in hot water helps to soften them making cooking them faster.
Yes, the beans can get overcooked in which case they get mushy. It is better to cook them enough so that they still retain their form.
If soaking in cold water overnight is ideal. Else, 4 hours is enough. Soak 1 cup peas in 3 cups of water.
Here's the recipe card:
📖 Recipe Card
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Black eyed Beans Curry | South Indian Lobia Curry
Ingredients
- 1 cup black eyed beans soaked for 4 hours or overnight
For curry
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 green chillies
- 1 tomato chopped
- 2 tbsp. tamarind paste or tamarind water
- ½ coconut cut into thin slices
- ½ tsp. mustard seeds
- ½ tsp. cumin seeds
- 3 cloves
- 6 peppercorns
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 cardamom
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ½ tsp. turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. garam masala powder or sambar powder
- 1 tsp. cayenne or paprika optional
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp. oil
For garnish
- 1 tbsp. cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Soak black eyed peas in sufficient water overnight or for 4 hours. Drain and keep aside.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Blend together onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies, tomato and coconut to form a thick paste.
- Heat Instant pot in saute mode. Heat oil. Add mustard seeds and allow to sputter. Add cumin seeds and let sputter. Add whole spices cloves, pepper, cinnamon, bay leaf and cardamom and fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the blended onion tomato coconut paste and mix well. Cover with a glass lid and cook for 4 minutes on Saute mode.
- Now add turmeric, cayenne (if using), salt, coriander powder and sambar powder or garam masala powder and mix well.
- Now add the drained black eyed peas along with 1.5 cups water. Mix well and pressure cook for 8 minutes and let it open via natural release of pressure.
- Your black eyed peas curry is ready. Add tamarind paste and cook for a minute more. Taste and season. Garnish with cilantro.
Stove Top Instructions
- In a wok, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn, cardamom, and curry leaves (optional). Cook for two minutes.
- Now add finely chopped onion and ginger garlic paste along with green chillies. Saute on low flame for 5-8 minutes while stirring. Add coconut slices or grated coconut. Cook for 5 minutes more.
- Now cool the mixture and blend to a smooth paste.
- Take a Manual Pressure cooker and add the blended paste along with drained black eyed peas. Add turmeric powder, cayenne (optional), coriander powder and salt. Cook for 4 whistles and release the pressure naturally.
- Your black eyed peas must be cooked and soft. Add tamarind paste and sambar powder (or garam masala powder). Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Garnish with cilantro. Your black eyed peas is ready to eat with rice or rotis.
Notes
- If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook in a pan with lid. But the cooking time will increase. It may take 20-30 minutes for the peas to cook.
- Please adjust the chillies and cayenne as per your preference. This is a spicy curry but you can adjust it to your taste.
- Adding coconut gives a certain creaminess and body to the curry.
- Soaking the black eyed peas reduces their cooking time. If you don't soak the peas, you can pressure cook for 20 minutes in Instant Pot and about 8-10 whistles in manual pressure cooker.
Nutrition
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Zainab says
We love lobia at home. I love this variant and often have it boiled topped with just onions and tomatoes. Nice recipe Rachna, will try.
Sulekha says
I make lobia the punjabi way but this recipe looks equally delicious. Love coconut after living in Kochi for almost 10 years and cooking with this super food. Rachna, your recipes are always easy to make and great to eat. Thanks for this.
Rachna says
Happy to help, Sulekha. Hope you make it.
Damyanti Biswas says
I have black-eyed peas at home–am definitely going to try this out!
the bespectacled mother says
I love lobia curry. I prepare it sometimes since not everyone in the family likes it. The next time I will cook it, I will follow your recipe. I have a problem with extracting the coconut from its shell so will be using ready made powdered coconut available in the the stores. Do you think it will work?
Rachna says
I think it should work.
Soumya Prasad says
I love lobia so much! One of the best tasting beans ever. Even a simple stir fry can taste so delicious!
I make this curry like Rajma masala to be eaten with chapati, will try it out this way now.