Nutritious, gluten-free and vegan black-eyed peas curry is a delicious dish that goes well with rice or any Indian flatbread. It is a freezer-friendly dish that makes a comforting midweek meal and a great dish to add to a weekly meal plan.
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This Indian black-eyed pea curry, also called lobia masala is a staple in many Indian households. Here is an easy and quick curry made with pantry ingredients. The only time-consuming part is soaking black-eyed peas.
I'm showing an instant pot method to cook dried pea curry. However, a stovetop pressure cooker could be used as well. Either way, peas cook quicker in a pressure cooker rather than in a pot over a stovetop which is a slow process and takes nearly 1 and a half to 2 hours.
An Instant pot is such an amazing appliance that makes life easier. It has become an essential part of the kitchen for its versatility and for cutting down the cooking time drastically. Be it breakfast - vegetable upma, porridge, side dish cabbage poriyal, simple lentil curry- dal palak, or rice varieties - peas pulao, every dish cooks perfectly every time.
Ingredients
- Vegetables: Onion, pureed tomato, coriander, lemon, ginger and garlic.
- Whole Spices: Bay leaf, cloves, cassia and cumin.
- Dry Spices: Turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder, salt and desiccated coconut.
- Liquids: sunflower oil for cooking and water to cook the curry. Feel free to use vegetable oil or any other cooking oil.
Refer recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Wash the peas in a colander under cold running water to remove dirt.
- Soak them in a bowl with 3 cups of water for 6 hours or overnight.
- After 6 hours, drain the water and keep peas aside.
- Gather all the ingredients and keep them on the kitchen platform and prep the vegetables.
- Plug in an instant pot and press the "sauté" button.
- Heat the oil in an inner pot, once hot add a bay leaf, cassia, cloves and sauté for a few seconds until aromatic.
- Add the cumin and sauté for a minute until it turns aromatic.
- Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the onion turns soft and translucent.
- Stir in the tomato puree, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until raw aroma vanishes.
- Add drained black-eyed peas, fresh water and stir well. Deglaze the pot well.
- Press the cancel button.
- Close the pot with a lid, press the "pressure cook/manual" button, and set the timer to 10 minutes at high pressure.
- Move the pressure valve to the "seal" position.
- After the set timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes and then move the pressure valve to the "vent" position. Press the cancel button or switch the instant pot power off.
- Once the pressure is completely released and the knob next to the pressure valve goes down, take the lid off the pot.
- Add coriander, lemon juice, desiccated coconut and stir well.
- Enjoy delicious black-eyed pea curry with rice or chapati.
Hint: Let the pressure release completely before opening the lid of the Instant Pot.
How to make lobia curry on a stovetop pressure cooker?
Wash the peas in a colander under cold running water to remove dirt.
Soak them in a bowl with 3 cups of water for 6 hours or overnight.
After 6 hours drain the water and keep the beans aside.
Add the beans and fresh water in a pressure cooker. Cook on medium-high heat for 2 whistles, reduce the flame to the lowest setting, cook for 1 whistle and switch the heat off. Let the pressure release naturally before taking the lid off.
In a pot or kadai, heat the oil over medium-low flame.
Now follow the steps from frying spices to combining soaked black-eyed peas with cooked vegetables and water from the instant pot cooking method.
Close the pot/kadai with a lid, increase the heat a little and simmer for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes switch the flame off, open the lid, add the coriander leaves, lemon juice, desiccated coconut and stir well.
Enjoy the delicious black-eyed pea curry with rice or any Indian flatbread.
Hint: You can cook the peas in a pot over stove top for around 2 hours until peas are tender if you don't have a pressure cooker.
Variations
Leafy vegetables like spinach or methi (fenugreek) add extra nutrients to this flavourful Indian black-eyed pea recipe.
Vegetable stock could be used instead of water.
You could use pre-made ginger garlic paste if you have it on hand instead of minced fresh ginger and garlic.
I've used passata, feel free to use tinned tomato puree or freshly pureed tomatoes.
Serving Suggestions
This dried pea curry paired with plain rice, poppadum and a simple side dish aloo gobi, pickle, onion salad and cucumber raita make a wholesome meal.
Indian flatbreads such as chapati, naan and paratha go well with Indian lobia bean curry.
This easy Indian curry not only pairs well with plain rice but also with mildly flavoured rice such as saffron rice, jeera rice or methi pulao.
Tips and Tricks
Soaked peas not only cook faster but also make them easier to digest.
If you are short of time, soak the peas for at least 1 hour in hot water.
Ensure to deglaze the pot before turning it to pressure cook mode. Otherwise, it will result in a "burn" message.
Before closing the pot make sure the inner silicone seal is fixed properly to the lid.
To multiply the quantity, increase the ingredients but NOT the cooking time.
Regardless of double or triple quantity, keep the pressure cook/manual cooking time the same. Instant pot just takes a little longer to come to pressure and then the timer countdown starts.
Storage
Fridge: Black-eyed pea curry stays good for 2-3 days in the fridge if stored properly in a clean airtight container.
Freezer: This is the best freezer-friendly recipe, perfect to have in a meal prep plan. Make a big batch ahead of time. Once the curry cools down, divide it into required portions in freezer-safe containers and store them in the freezer.
Defrost: Thaw the lobia curry the night before you plan to consume it. Take a portion out of the freezer and pop it in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop until piping hot.
More Easy Curry Recipes
FAQs
Yes, soaking helps the peas cook quicker and make them easier to digest. I would suggest soaking for at least 6 hours or overnight. If you forget, soak at least 1 hour in hot water and pressure cook for 5 minutes longer.
Divide the leftover curry into the desired portions in freezer-safe containers and store them in the freezer. Use them up within 3 months.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make this easy Indian dish black-eyed peas curry. I love hearing from you all. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
📖 Recipe Card
Black Eyed Peas Curry
Equipment
- Ladle
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 1 cup (or) 195 gms Black Eyed Peas
- 2 Teaspoons Oil
- 1 Bay Leaf
- small piece Cassia/Dalchini
- 2 Cloves
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin
- 140 gms Onion peeled and finely chopped
- 1 inch Ginger peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 160 gms Tomato Puree/Passata
- ½ Teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ Teaspoon Coriander Powder
- Salt as required
- 18 gms Desiccated Coconut
- Juice from half a lemon
- 3 Cups Water
- handful Fresh Coriander Leaves chopped
Instructions
- Wash the peas in a colander under cold running water to remove dirt.1 cup (or) 195 gms Black Eyed Peas
- Wash the peas in a colander under cold running water to remove dirt.
- Soak them in a bowl with 3 cups of water for 6 hours or overnight. After 6 hours, drain the water and keep peas aside.
- Gather all the ingredients and keep them on the kitchen platform and prep the vegetables.
- Plug in an instant pot and press the "sauté" button.
- Heat the oil in an inner pot, once hot add a bay leaf, cassia, cloves and sauté for a few seconds until aromatic.2 Teaspoons Oil, small piece Cassia/Dalchini, 2 Cloves, 1 Bay Leaf
- Add the cumin and sauté for a minute until it turns aromatic.1 Teaspoon Cumin
- Add the onion, ginger and garlic and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the onion turns soft and translucent.140 gms Onion, 1 inch Ginger, 2 cloves Garlic
- Stir in the tomato puree, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until raw aroma vanishes.160 gms Tomato Puree/Passata, ½ Teaspoon Turmeric, 1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder, ½ Teaspoon Garam Masala, ½ Teaspoon Coriander Powder
- Add drained black-eyed peas, salt, fresh water and stir well. Deglaze the pot well.1 cup (or) 195 gms Black Eyed Peas, 3 Cups Water, Salt
- Press the cancel button.
- Close the pot with a lid, press the "pressure cook/manual" button, and set the timer to 10 minutes at high pressure.
- Move the pressure valve to the "seal" position.
- After the set timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes and then move the pressure valve to the "vent" position. Press the cancel button or switch the instant pot power off.
- Once the pressure is completely released and the knob next to the pressure valve goes down, take the lid off the pot.
- Add coriander, lemon juice, desiccated coconut and stir well.18 gms Desiccated Coconut, Juice from half a lemon, handful Fresh Coriander Leaves
- Enjoy delicious black-eyed pea curry with rice or chapati.
Kelly
Absolutely love this recipe. I forgot to add the lemon juice but still it was delicious. Family loved it!
Geetha Priyanka
Kelly, so happy to know all your family members loved this dish.