Coconut-Smothered Black-Eyed Peas Curry with Basmati Rice and Naan

Recently, the Splendid Table podcast taught me about Blue Zones. These geographic areas contain the healthiest, longest-lived people in the world. Dan Buettner studied the cultures and diets in these places, seeking to discover their secrets. He ultimately determined that, while many factors affect health and longevity (such as community involvement and exercise), diet–particularly one rich in beans–is a primary contributor. On this basis, he recommends eating around one cup of beans a day.

Now, I (and I suspect most people) don’t eat anywhere close to that amount of beans on a regular basis. But lately I’ve been trying to do better. Raghavan Iyer’s Indian cookbook, 660 Curries, has been a great resource for this. It’s an 800-page tome of Indian recipes. While not strictly vegetarian, this cookbook boasts an extensive section on legume curries that can help you incorporate more beans into your diet.

Last night, I made a wonderful coconut-smothered black-eyed peas curry. I’ve always enjoyed black-eyed peas–they have a creamy texture, which blends with the coconut in this dish to create a really rich and tasty curry. Also, black-eyed peas require no soaking beforehand and cook in just an hour! If you’re pressed for time, you can speed up the process even further by using canned or frozen black-eyed peas–just add 1 cup of water to the peas when cooking. But if you have the time, I recommend using dried beans, so you can increase the flavor by cooking them with sliced onion and serrano chiles.

This Indian curry is big on flavor! Cumin seeds, turmeric, serrano chiles, red onion, unsweetened coconut, mustard seeds, and curry leaves combine to create a delicious, spicy curry. Serve it with basmati rice and fresh naan for a complete meal! If you’re new to Indian cuisine and worried about the spiciness, don’t use any serrano chiles when cooking the beans, only when making the coconut paste. This way, you’ll still have some heat, but it won’t be overwhelming. The rice and naan will also counter the spiciness.

Every ingredient in this dish, with the exception of curry leaves, can be found at most grocery stores. However, if there’s an Indian grocer near you, check it out–you’ll probably get a much better deal on the spices and the basmati rice.

I hope you enjoy this curry recipe for coconut-smothered black-eyed peas!

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Coconut-Smothered Black-Eyed Peas Curry

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Serves	4, as a main course
Dietary	Vegetarian
Meal type	Main Dish
Region	Indian
From book	Slightly adapated from 660 Curries

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

Step 1

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.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.