Black Eyed Beans Curry flavoured with dill is my favourite beans preparation!
I grew up eating black-eyed beans (or chawali or lobia ), and I adored them in curries and dry preparations. One of the dishes my mum would make is the traditional Usal, a stew cooked with onions and tomatoes, it was a simple yet delicious dish, and we would often have for suppers with bhakris. This Black Eyed Beans Curry is a homage to those childhood memories.
How to cook the beans for the Black Eyed Beans Curry?
Like all other beans, you have to soak them at least for 4 hours. I soak them overnight and pressure cook them with some water, salt and asafoetida. The asafoetida helps in the digestion and gives a pungent flavour. I like to add 1 tsp of oil whilst cooking the beans from stop foaming. If you don’t have a pressure cooker or an instant pot, you can simmer it for 45 minutes.
What to pair this Black Eyed Beans Curry with?
Before we get to that, I would like to tell you a bit about this recipe. I have created this with some west Indian flavours, and I wanted to more freshness to it, so I added fresh dill. Oh, it tastes delicious! And since it has all these west Indian flavours, I love serving this humble curry with plain steamed rice or bhakris (sorghum flour flatbread) with a side of chutney.
So this is how you made this Black Eyed Beans Curry!
Chefs tips:
- Soak the beans in water for 4 hours.
- For 1 cup of soaked beans use 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups water.
- Pressure cook the beans in the pressure cooker.
- I always cook them in the instant pot on beans mode for 17 minutes.
- Always add 1 tsp oil to stop the beans from frothing.
- For better digestion, add a pinch of asafoetida and salt.
Black eyed beans curry
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
- Blender
Ingredients
Ingredients for curry:
- 1 cup black eyed beans cooked
- 2 tomatoes blanched and pureed
- 1 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 tbsp coriander stalks chopped
- 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp cumin seeds and a few fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp or to taste red chilli powder
- 2 tsp kala masala or garam masala
- 1 tbsp oil
- salt to taste
- coriander for garnishing
Ingredients for paste:
- 2 medium onions roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger chopped
- 1 or to taste fresh and dried red chilli
- 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
- 1 each stone flower, star anise
- 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp oil
Instructions
- In a heavy pot heat 1 tsp, add in the onion, garlic, ginger and all the ingredients mentioned for the paste. Fry them till the onion is brown in colour. Let it cool slightly and make a fine paste.
- In the same pot add rest of the oil, add in the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and coriander stalks.
- Let them pop and tip in the onion-coconut paste and fry for 5 minutes. Add in the turmeric, red chilli powder and mix well.
- Tip in the tomato puree and cook till the oil starts to release from the sides.
- Add in the cooked black-eyed beans with water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the kala masala or garam masala.
- Add in the tamarind paste and freshly chopped dill leaves. Mix it well. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish the curry with fresh coriander and serve hot with rice.
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