Black eyed beans curry / Vella payar/Lobia curry

Black eyed beans curry

Recipe Courtesy – Yummy O Yummy (with slight modifications)

Ingredients

1 ½ cup dried Black eyed beans/ Lobia/ Vella Payar

1 large onion, finely chopped

5-6 cloves garlic finely chopped

2 medium tomatoes chopped

1 handful fenugreek/methi leaves, chopped

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 inch stick cinnamon

1 pinch hing/asafoetida

1 ½ tablespoon oil

2 tablespoon coriander leaves/ cilantro, to garnish

Salt

Method

• Soak the black eyed beans in plenty of water for atleast 4-5 hours. Drain and cook in a pressure cooker on a medium flame with little salt until the cooker gives off one whistle. You can also cook in an open vessel until the beans are tender but they should not get mashed up.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.
• Once the cumin seeds begin to splutter, add the chopped onion, little salt and garlic. Stir fry until onion turns golden brown.
• Sprinkle little water and add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and stir fry for a minute.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and hing. Stir cook until the tomatoes get mashed up and oil separates from the sides. This will take about 7-8 minutes.
• Add the chopped fenugreek leaves and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the cooked black eyed beans. Mix and leave to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with chapati or rice.

*The addition of fenugreek/methi leaves is optional. It was not there in the original recipe but it gives a different and nice taste to the dish. You can avoid it if you wish to.