Black Eyed Peas Curry, or lobia masala, is a hearty, flavorful dish with the comforting taste of black eyed peas with bold Indian spices. This protein-packed curry is both nutritious and satisfying, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner. With its rich, onion-tomato based gravy and tender black eyed peas, it's a dish that will quickly become a staple in your kitchen.
Lobia Masala, or Black Eyed Peas Curry, is a comforting and wholesome Indian dish that's especially popular in North India where beans and lentils are a significant source of protein. Black Eyed Peas are considered a symbol of good luck in several cultures and are often prepared for festive occasions, like New Years Eve to shepherd in good fortune for the new year.
This dish is made with tender black eyed peas boiled with turmeric and ginger to aid digestion. Then, the beans are tossed in a rich, spiced onion-tomato gravy. It's delicious as a weeknight dinner served with fresh roti or rice.
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Why You'll love this Recipe
This Indian black eyed peas curry has so much nostalgia of mom's cooking attached to it for me! The flavor of black eyed peas is complimented with a rich onion-tomato gravy.
- Lobia Masala is a nutritious, plant-based curry.
- The beans are tender and absorb plenty of flavor.
- It's a great source of protein for vegetarians and a wholesome meal with roti or basmati rice.
- Consuming black eyed peas on New Years Eve is popular in many cultures to bring good fortune and good luck!
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
- Black Eyed Peas - In India, we typically use dried black eyed peas for cost efficiency and texture. Canned beans work as well and cut down on the cook time.
- Ginger - The beans are boiled with grated ginger with aids in digesting the beans.
- Tomatoes - I prefer to use quality vine or roma tomatoes and chop it very finely with a chef's knife. Canned tomato puree can also work just fine. If you'd like to use more fresh tomatoes, use up to 4 roma tomatoes and double the amount of spices.
- Onion - A yellow onion or red onion work for this curry.
- Spices - For spices, we're using cumin seeds but if you don't have the seeds then you can use ½ teaspoon of ground cumin. For ground spices, we're using turmeric, garam masala, kashmiri chili powder, asafoetida, and ground coriander. Asafoetida can be substituted with amchur, garlic, or omitted if unavailable. Kashmiri chili powder is a really mild chili powder, so you can also use paprika with some cayenne. Achaari Masala is a pickling spice mix and can be substituted with lemon juice and a pinch of sumac.
- Lemon / Lime - Acidity brightens this rich curry.
How to Make Lobia Masala
Currying black eyed peas starts with boiling the legumes until tender and then adding a deeply flavorful tomato-onion curry to it.
- Step 1: After soaking the black eyed peas overnight, boil them for 30-40 minutes with ginger, turmeric, and salt.
- Step 2: Boil until they're tender, but not mushy.
Mama Garg's Expert Tip #1
Boiling the beans with ginger and turmeric improves digestibility.
- Step 3: Start on the spiced onion-tomato gravy while the black eyed peas boil.
- Step 4: Cook until gravy darkens, thickens, and the oil starts to separate on the side. If you prefer a spicier curry, add more red chili powder or green chilis cut in half lengthwise.
Mama Garg's Expert Tip #2
Add green peas or boiled, diced potatoes for a heartier curry.
- Step 5: Add the onion-tomato gravy into the pot with the cooked black eyed peas. Adjust the water content to achieve the preferred consistency.
- Step 6: Simmer for another 10 minutes. Finish off the curry with garam masala and a spritz of lime juice.
Remove the curry from heat and stir in chopped cilantro. Then, you're ready to enjoy your Indian Black Eyed Peas Curry!
Serving Suggestions
Black Eyed Peas Curry pairs well with Basmati rice, fluffy naan, or roti. A few spoonfuls of dahi with a fresh kachumber salad or nimbu ka achar are also delicious accompaniments.
I also recommend serving it with a sabji like Aloo Methi Sabji for a nutritious, filling meal.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Soaking the dried black eyed peas - Soaking the beans overnight softens them, reduces cooking time, and improves digestibility.
- Using canned black eyed peas - You can absolutely used canned black eyed peas. Drain and rinse them well. Add grated ginger after sautéing the onions, and the salt and turmeric along with the rest of the spices and the tomato puree.
- Consistency - For a thicker curry, use a potato masher to mash a small portion of the cooked black eyed peas before adding them to the gravy. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add more water while simmering.
- Pressure cooker - A pressure cooker is traditional to Indian cooking and cuts down on time, but an Instant Pot works just as well. Cook the beans on Bean mode for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. With a heavy bottom pot, you'll have to monitor the water levels a bit while simmering.
Storage Instructions
Black Eyed Peas Curry stores well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Allow the curry to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. When reheating in a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of water to adjust the consistency as it will have thickened in the refrigerator.
Freeze the curry for up to a month. I love these souper cubes for freezing curries and reheating them stovetop.
More Indian Curry Dishes to try
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Lobia Masala (Black Eyed Peas Curry)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup black eyed peas, dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ inch ginger, freshly grated
Tadka
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 roma tomatoes, finely diced or pureed
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon achaari masala
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ lime
- cilantro, garnish
Instructions
- Soak the black eyed peas in 2 cups of water for 4-6 hours, or overnight. Once soaked and doubled in size, drain the water and rinse the black eyed peas.
- In a pressure cooker or heavy bottom pot, add the soaked peas with enough water to cover them (about 2 cups). Add the salt, ground turmeric, and grated ginger and stir together.
- Cook the peas for 30-40 minutes (or 3 whistles) on low to medium heat, or until they're tender and not mushy. Add more water to the pot if necessary. Set aside.
- In a nonstick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil. Add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to sputter, add the diced onions and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato puree to the pan along with the asafoetida, ground coriander, kashmiri chili powder, and achaari masala. Cook the mixture for another 7 minutes, stirring every minute to prevent sticking and burning. The mixture is done cooking once it darkens several shades, it's thick, and the oil starts to separate on the sides.
- Add the onion-tomato gravy into the pot with the cooked black eyed peas and stir well to combine. Bring the mixture up to a gentle boil for another 10 minutes, adding up to a cup of water to achieve the preferred thickness of the curry.
- Stir in the garam masala along with a spritz of the lime juice.
- Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy warm with roti or rice.
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