Black Eyed Peas Curry cooked in a smooth onion, tomatoes, and coconut-based sauce with earthy flavors from turmeric, cumin, and coriander. Spiced with red chili powder and aromatic garam masala, this tasty curry served with rice or warm roti this meal is on repeat in my home.
Also known as lobia or chawli, dried black-eyed peas are a must-have in my pantry. They are inexpensive, have a long shelf life, and are available in most grocery stores. They also cook fairly fast compared to other dried beans.
In India, I grew up seeing my mom always soaking dry beans the night before. In my "The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook" I have an easier variation of this recipe, which uses dry beans and a longer cook time for the same creamy gravy sauce.
Prep
This is my mom's recipe that I grew up eating. To begin, soak black-eyed peas in water overnight or at least 4 hours. Blend together onion, tomatoes, coconut, cumin seeds, ginger, and garlic to make a smooth paste which is the base masala for this recipe (photos 1 - 3). Photo 4 shows soaked peas and other spices for this recipe.
Once the spice paste is ready, this recipe is easy to cook in Instant Pot. You can also cook white rice at the same time as the Pot in Pot cooking, so you have the whole meal ready in no time! Let me show you detailed step by step photos here:
Process
Step1: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat oil. To the hot oil, add mustard seeds and allow them to pop, this may take 2 to 3 mins. Add asafetida and turmeric. Stir in the onion and tomato masala paste and cook for a minute stirring frequently. Add red chili powder, cumin and coriander powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix well. Put a glass lid on and cook for 3-4 mins photos (5 - 8).
Step 2: Open the glass lid and mix everything, making sure no spices are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add jaggery, black-eyed peas, and water. Stir as you remove any stuck masala from the bottom of the pot. Place the tall trivet inside the pot. Put the rice bowl on top of the trivet. Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing. Cook on Pressure Cook/ Manual(Hi) for 8 minutes photos (9 - 12).
Step 3: Allow 10 mins or full Natural Pressure Release. Carefully remove the rice container and the trivet using heat-resistant mitts. Stir the curry and garnish with chopped cilantro photos (13 - 14).
Serving
On busy weeknights we enjoy the black-eyed peas curry with the pot in pot steamed rice. Here are few other ideas to serve this delicious Indian curry. You can either make thin phulka rotis or layered whole wheat parathas to scoop the curried black-eyed peas. You can also switch up steamed white rice with jeera rice or steamed brown rice. Add a side of beet raita to perfectly round up this meal.
Did you enjoy this homestyle Indian curry? Here are some more vegetarian curries for you to try:
- Maharashtrian Misal - A spicy curry with sprouted beans
- Bharwa Baingan - Curried stuffed eggplant with an easy Instant Pot recipe
- Mushroom Masala - Mushrooms cooked in a creamy tomato-based sauce
- Chana Masala - Curried chickpeas in a heartwarming sauce
- Punjabi Dal Makhani - Creamy restaurant-style lentils with an EASY Instant Pot recipe
Check out this collection of 20 Indian Lentil and Bean recipes using Instant Pot.
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Recipe
Instant Pot Black Eyed Peas Curry with Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry black eyed peas 3 cups soaked
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 tablespoon shredded coconut unsweetened
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 1 large ripe tomato quartered
- 1 inch ginger
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon asafetida optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ½ tablespoon jaggery or brown sugar optional
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro for garnish
Pot in pot Rice (optional)
- 1 cup white rice
- 1½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Soak black eyed peas in 3 cups of water overnight or 6 hours. Drain all the water and keep it aside.
- Rinse and drain the rice. Add water and salt and keep aside.
- Blend cumin seeds, coconut, onion, tomato, ginger and garlic to make a smooth paste.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute(more) mode and heat oil. Add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Add asafetida and turmeric. Add the onion and tomato paste and cook for a minute stirring frequently.
- Add red chili powder, cumin and coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well. Put a glass lid on and cook for 3-4 mins.
- Open the glass lid and mix everything once more. Making sure no spices are stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Add jaggery, black eyed peas and water. Give a quick stir.
- Put a tall trivet in the pot. Put the rice container on top of the trivet.
- Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 8 minutes. Open after 10 mins or allow full natural pressure release.
- Remove the rice container. Remove the trivet. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy hot!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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pat says
I enjoy your blog and have bookmarked some recipes, cooked rice your way etc. But I have an old fashioned pressure cooker. It would be useful to mention directions occasionally for them, esp if they are very different from the new Instapots. thanks
Archana says
Sure I will do that! Every recipe is different but in general 1 whistle in traditional pressure cooker is equivalent of 2 mins of pressure cooking in the Instant Pot
Chris says
I don't own an IP or pressure cooker, but can easily see how a recipe works for stove top or oven. I just bought a bag of dried black eyed peas for the traditional new year's meal, and am planning to make this recipe. (Without that terrible smelling asafetida! I bought a small container, couple of years ago, and thought it had gone bad ... whoa!)
Archana says
Yes, especially black eyed peas that cook fast on stove top too.
Lisa says
The ingredient list mentioned a ripe tomato, while the instructions referenced tomato paste. Are they interchangeable?
DV says
Great recipe! Quick and easy
Veena says
Perfect spice blend and a healthy soul filling recipe
Lisa says
Please disregard my previous comment concerning fresh tomatoes and tomato paste. After reading the older comments, and re-reading the recipe, I realize there isn’t tomato paste in the recipe, however you make a paste with the fresh tomato. The instructions are clear.
Maneesha says
beautiful recipe! Loved it!!
Jo says
Hi Archana,
I have your cookbook and I absolutely love this recipe, and have made it multiple times. Every veg recipe I have made from your book tastes great (only cook veg), and most of the lentil and dal ones are my weekly lunch staples for work.
I have a collection of instant pot cookbooks, but yours is the only one that gives consistently great results. I have found the other books (by well known authors) a bit hit and miss and sometimes bland. So thank you .
I’m only now exploring your website and have picked out a few yummies to make this weekend.
Thank you again,
Jo
Archana says
Thank you Jo! You made my day! If you haven't already please do review the book on amazon too.
allison says
hi there! Huge fan of your blog and cookbook! If i wanted to add some meat protein to this, how would you recommend doing it? I'm thinking of a ground chicken or turkey.
Archana says
Both ground chicken and turkey will be great! Stir it in before adding the black-eyed peas and follow the remaining recipe as is. You will need 1 teaspoon of kosher salt for 1 to 1.5 lbs of ground meat