Lobia curry is a flavorful Indian dish made from black-eyed peas simmered in a rich, spiced tomato gravy. This vegan curry makes a nutritious and satisfying meal.
Lobia has many names. This is also called black-eyed peas, cowpeas, or black-eyed beans. It is one of the most popular beans worldwide. Also, these are versatile and can be added in many ways to your diet. You can make curried stews, make burgers, or include them in your salads.
Though it is named "peas," it is actually a bean and belongs to the legume family. It contains almost all essential vitamins and minerals, making it one of the superfoods with numerous health benefits. It's a high-protein meal.
Black-eyed peas or Lobia
This is one of the most popular beans in Africa and America. In the Southern United States, it's believed that eating black-eyed peas or Hoppin' John (rice & peas cooked together in addition to pork/ meat) on New Year's Eve brings good luck and prosperity.
Black-eyed Peas Curry Recipe
This is an easy curry recipe, and the whole process takes less than 30 minutes. You can prepare this in a Dutch oven or any open pot/ pan on the stovetop. However, it takes a longer time, approximately 1 hour, to cook the beans. Hence, pressure cooking is always the best option to cook faster. You can use a manual pressure cooker for the stovetop or an instant pot.
Why should you soak the beans?
The lobia or black-eyes peas are legumes and have a hard texture. This takes longer to get cooked. Eating half-cooked legumes creates bloating and makes it difficult to digest, causing diarrhea, stomach upset, pain, etc. Soaking helps to soften the beans and also fastens their cooking. So we usually soak them overnight.
Again, black-eyed peas or lobia are not as hard as chickpeas. So you can soak them for 2 hours minimum. I soak them in hot water and cover the vessel with a lid. So, it helps to fasten the process, and they turn soft enough to cook further.
Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas
Ingredients -
Black-eyed beans - Or Lobia. This is the hero ingredient.
Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Tomatoes (Fresh & paste)
Spices - Coriander powder, cumin, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder (paprika), garam masala (all-spices), and salt
Herbs - Lots of fresh cilantro leaves
Vegetable Broth - as required to cook. Can substitute this with water too.
Step-by-step Instructions
Start the IP on saute mode. When it shows HOT, add oil. Then add cumin seeds, chopped ginger & garlic. Now add chopped onion or onion paste to the pot.
Stir it and allow it to cook for 2 minutes or till translucent. Now add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste, followed by salt.
Cook it for another minute or till the tomatoes are soft and cooked. Then add the ground spices and mix well. Next, add the soaked lobia and veg broth or water. Deglaze the pot before closing the lid.
Cancel the sautรฉ mode and set it on manual pressure cook mode for 12 minutes on high pressure. Seal the vent knob. Once it's cooked, allow the natural pressure to release for 5 minutes and then quickly release for rest. You can also keep this as it is till all pressure is released naturally. Open the lid.
Take out 2 ladles of the beans and blend them roughly. Add it back to the stew. This will thicken the gravy. Otherwise, use a hand blender and roughly give one or two pulse blends. However, this is an optional step. You can also simmer the curry for 2 minutes on sautรฉ mode to thicken the gravy.
Add finely chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with rice or flatbreads of your choice. Black-eyed peas curry is ready in less than 30 minutes.
Black-Eyed Peas Curry On Stove Top
On the stovetop, you can cook them in a manual pressure cooker or a Dutch oven. The process will be the same in both ways except for the setting mode and timing part. Cook the curry for 45 - 60 minutes on the low flame when cooking in a pot like a Dutch oven (cover with a lid for faster cooking). In the case of a manual pressure cooker, cook up to 5 - 6 whistles (10 minutes approximately).
Serving Ideas
Serve this with rice, roti, or naan. Here are a few of the suggestions to try.
tortilla or layered laccha paratha
Black-Eyed Peas Curry Recipe
Black-Eyed Peas Curry
Equipment
- Dutch oven/ pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup lobia or black-eyed peas soaked for 4 - 6 hrs, become around 2.5 cups when soaked
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large tomato chopped
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste (minced ยฝ inch fresh ginger and 4 garlic pods)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ยฝ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt (to taste)
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
Instructions
- Soak beans for 4 - 6 hrs or over night. then remove from water and keep aside for further process.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker (manual or electric).
- Add cumin seeds and let it crackcle.
- Add ginger garlic paste or chopped ginger, garlic.
- Saute for a minute.
- Add chopped onion and saute till translucent.
- Add chopped tomatoes and cook till they are soft and mushy.
- Then add the ground spices mentioned in the ingredients list above and salt. Stir well.
- Add 2 - 4 tbsp water if required to avoid burning of spices.
- Add soaked beans and mix well.
- Season with salt & pepper. Cook on medium flame for 3 - 5 minutes.
- Add water 1 cup water before closing the lid of the cooker.
- Close lid of cooker and pressure cook for 5 - 6 whistles.
- Turn off hear and wait for natural pressure release.
- Once lid opens, with a spoon press beans slightly so as to give it a little creamy consistency.
- Another way is take out 1cup of cooked curry and blend it to a coarse puree.
- and add that back to the cooker. This will thicken the curry gravy.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Lobia Curry in Instant Pot
- Start the instant pot on saute mode for 5 minutes.
- Once the inner pot is hot, add oil.
- Add cumin seeds, onion, ginger, garlic to the pot.
- Saute for 2 minutes till onions are translucent.
- Then add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste to the pot.
- Saute for 2 minutes till tomatoes are cooked.
- Now add all the ground spices mentioned in the list above and saute.
- Add 3 - 4 tbsp broth and deglaze the pot.
- Now add soaked lobia and saute for a minute.
- Add 2 cups water or broth to the pot.
- Deglaze again before closing the lid.
- Turn off saute mode and start pressure cook mode.
- Seal vent and set timer to 10 minutes.
- After that let it be on natural pressure release.
- Once pressure released, open the lid.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.
- For a thicker consistency, coarsely blend few of the beans with a spoon or blender.
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