Coconut-Smothered Black-Eyed Peas Curry
Coconut-smothered black-eyed peas curry is a healthy, vegetarian dish that's spicy and full of flavor. Serve with basmati rice and naan for a complete meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried black-eyed peas
- 2 small red onions; 1 cut in half legnthwise and thinly sliced, 1 coarsely chopped
- 4 fresh serrano chiles, stems removed; 2 cut in half legnthwise, 2 coarsely chopped (do not remove the seeds)
- 1/2 cup shredded fresh coconut; or 1/4 cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut, reconstituted
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds
- 12 medium-sized to large curry leaves
Note
- If you're pressed for time, you can speed up the process by using canned black-eyed peas (two 15 oz cans, drained and rinsed + 1 cup water) or frozen black-eyed peas (one 16-oz frozen package; heat according to the package instructions and make sure to retain 1 cup of the cooking liquid). Then start on step 2 of the recipe.
- To reconstitute the dry coconut, cover with 1/4 cup boiling water, set aside for 15 minutes, and then drain.
Directions
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Step 1
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| Rinse the peas in water and drain. Place the black-eyed peas in a medium stockpot. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the sliced onion and the 2 halved chiles. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium low and cook the beans 1 hour. |
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Step 2
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| Meanwhile, pour 1/2 cup water into a blender jar, and add the chopped onion and the chopped chiles. Add the coconut, salt, cumin seeds, and turmeric. Puree, scraping the inside of the jar as needed. Set it aside until the black-eyed are done. |
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Step 3
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| Stir the coconut mixture into the black-eyed peas and simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors mingle, 5 to 10 minutes. |
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Step 4
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| Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cover the skillet, and cook until the seeds have stopped popping (not unlike popcorn), about 30 seconds. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the curry leaves--carefully, as they will spatter upon contact. Pour this aromatic oil mixture into the curry, and stir. Then, serve. Basmati rice and naan are perfect accompaniments to this curry. |
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