The best part about living in Tanzania is that one gets to eat fruits and vegetables that are free from pesticides. Legumes like kidney beans and cow peas or black eyed peas are often available fresh at my door step. All through my six year stay in Tanzania, never once have I purchased dried legumes. So when my vegetable vendor got these fresh and shelled cow peas at my door step, I could not help but buy some. I normally use cow peas in sambar, but this time I decided to use this legume in the onion and tomato gravy instead.
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Lobia Masaledar – Curried Cow Peas or Black Eyed Peas
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4
Description
Lobia masala is a healthy variation to the regular dal fry or dal makhani. The cow peas are pressure cooked and simmered in onion and tomato gravy that is flavoured with spices.
Ingredients
- Fresh Lobia or cowpeas- 250 gms
- Onion- 1 med, finely chopped
- Tomatoes- two large, finely chopped
- Ginger garlic paste- 1tsp
- Green chili- 1, slit
- Oil- 2tbsp (30 ml)
- Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
- Bay leaf- 1
- Cinnamon- 1"piece
- Cloves- 3
- Turmeric- 1/2tsp
- Red chili powder- 1/2tsp
- Cumin seed powder- 1/2tsp
- Coriander seed powder- 1/2 tsp
- Garam masala- A pinch
- Salt to taste
- Sugar- 1/2tsp
- Butter- 1tbsp (15 ml) (optional)
- Coriander leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Pressure cook the cow peas with 1-1/2 cups of water for 4-5 whistles or till tender and keep aside.
- Heat oil in thick bottmed pan and add the cumin seeds. Once they sputter, add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and fry for a min.
- Add the chopped onion, and green chili and fry till the onion turns pink. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and fry for two more mins so that the raw smell is removed.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and fry for a min. Add the turmeric, salt, sugar, red chili powder, coriander, cumin seed powders and fry for 5min till the mixture is mushy and the oil separates.
- Stir in the cooked cow peas and garam masala and mix well. Allow the mixture to simmer for five more min. If using butter, then add at this stage and mix.
- Take off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or rotis.
Notes
- If using dry cow peas, then it would have to be soaked for 5-6 hrs or overnight before proceeding to make the curry.
- The use of butter is optional.
- You can omit using butter if you want to make this dish vegan.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 200
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use dried cowpeas instead of fresh?
Yes. If using dried cowpeas, soak them for 5–6 hours or overnight before cooking. After soaking, proceed with pressure cooking them for 4–5 whistles until tender, exactly as you would with fresh.
Is the butter necessary, or can I leave it out?
The butter is entirely optional — I’ve listed it as “optional” in the ingredients, and it’s only stirred in at the very end. You can skip the 1 tbsp of butter to keep the dish fully vegan.
Why does the recipe add a pinch of sugar to the tomato-onion gravy?
The ½ tsp of sugar is added alongside the tomatoes and spices to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. It goes in at the same time as the salt, turmeric, and chili powder, and cooks into the gravy for 5 minutes until the oil separates.
What should I serve with Lobia Masaledar?
Serve it hot with rice or rotis, the same way you’d serve a dal fry — this curry is a healthy variation on that classic.
Wonderful recipe, very fulsome & tasty