Black-eyed bean (Lobia) Curry

Black-eyed beans are boiled and cooked with spices to make curry.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of black-eyed beans (400 gm ) Lobia
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1 cup diced tomato
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 2-3 Green chillies
• 1 bay leaf
• 1” Cinnaman stick
• 2 tbsps cooking oil
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsps garam masala
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsps fresh coriander leaves chopped fine

Method:

• Grind onion, diced tomatoess, green chillies in a fine paste.
• Heat the oil in a deep, thick-bottomed pan on a medium flame. Add bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Add the onion tomato paste and fry till the oil begins to separate from the paste. .
• Add dry spices - cumin, coriander, red chilli, tumeric and garam masala powders. Fry for 5 minutes.
• Drain the water in the can from the beans and rinse them well under running water. Add the beans to the masala. Mix well.
• Add salt to taste and water to make gravy (about 1 cup).
• Simmer and cook covered for 10 minutes.Take out in a dish.
• Mix in lemon juice.
• Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.
• Serve with hot plain boiled rice, Roti , Sabji and Raita of your choice.

Note: As heat diminishes their flavour quickly, coriander leaves are often used raw or added to the dish right before serving.

Do You Know?

Cowpea ( Lobia), is a grain legume grown mainly in the savanna regions of the tropics and subtropics in Africa, Asia, and South America. Cowpea grain contains about 25% protein, making it extremely valuable where many people cannot afford protein foods such as meat and fish.

Cowpea can be used at all stages of growth as a vegetable crop. The tender green leaves are an important food source in Africa and are prepared as a pot herb, like spinach. Immature snapped pods are used in the same way as snapbeans, often being mixed with other foods. Green cowpea seeds are boiled as a fresh vegetable, or may be canned or frozen. Dry mature seeds are also suitable for boiling and canning.