Black-eyed peas curry with spinach is a delicious vegan and gluten-free recipe from India. This protein-rich vegan curry is very flavorful and can be enjoyed with rice as well as any Indian bread.
This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure here. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases without any extra cost to you.
I love bean curries and make them at least once every week. That's the reason you will find so many different Indian bean curry recipes on my blog.
Beans is used a lot in Indian cooking. Not only to make curries but also to make starters, salads, pulao, and in some desserts too.
Today I am sharing the recipe of one of my favorite bean curries- black-eyed peas curry with spinach. It's also one of the healthiest curry recipes on my site.
Jump to:
What goes in this curry?
To make this lobiya curry, you will be needing the following ingredients:
- Black-eyed peas: In Indian cooking dried beans are soaked overnight and then cooked. That's the preferred way of making any bean curry in Indian style. However, if you don't have time for that or could not find dried beans then canned beans can be used too.
- Spinach: Fresh and frozen both are fine.
- Onion: Preferably red onion
- Tomato: Use a juicy variety for the best results.
- Fresh cilantro
- Green chili pepper
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Tomato paste
- Mustard oil/ any cooking oil of your choice
- Spices/ seasoning: Red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala
- Water: Vegetable stock can be used too.
Should the beans be soaked before cooking?
Yes, if you are using dried beans soak it for at least 7 hours or overnight. To fasten the process soak them in boiling water. If soaked in boiling water they will be ready for cooking in around 5 hours.
Are black eyed peas and black beans the same?
No, black-eyed peas and black beans both are different.
If you talk about appearance black-eyed peas also known as black-eyed beans just have a black spot on them and the black beans are completely black.
Their taste is also very different.
Can this dish be made with a different bean?
Yes, you can make a similar dish using your preferred beans.
Serving suggestions
This black-eyed beans and spinach curry can be served with rice as well as any Indian bread like chapati, naan, or paratha.
Recipe tips and tricks
- Black-eyed peas get cooked faster than other beans like kidney beans or chickpea. So cook them for a lesser time otherwise they will turn mushy.
- If using canned beans, rinse them properly before adding them to the curry.
- I would recommend not adding a lot of water to this curry. It tastes the best when made slightly thicker.
Step by step photo instructions
More vegan beans curry recipes
If you want to try more bean curries then do check the following recipes:
- Rajma masala (Kidney beans curry)
- Chickpea spinach curry
- Kala chana (whole Bengal gram curry)
- Mixed beans curry
More black eyed pea recipes
Looking for ideas to use black eyed peas in different recipes? Don't miss to check the following links:
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in the recipe card below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Youtube, and Pinterest.
Recipe
Black eyed peas curry with spinach
Ingredients
- 2 cups boiled/ canned black-eyed peas
- 1 cup chopped spinach fresh/ frozen
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes finely chopped
- 4-5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch ginger piece grated
- 1 green chili pepper finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro optional
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice adjust as per taste
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅛ teaspoon garam masala
- Salt as per taste
- ½ tablespoon mustard oil/ any other cooking oil of your choice
- 1 cup water/ vegetable stock
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter for a few seconds.
- Add chopped onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute until the onion starts turning brown.
- Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, and around a tablespoon of water. Mix and saute for about a minute on low flame.
- Next, add tomatoes and green chili. Cook covered until the tomatoes turn mushy. Then cook uncovered for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and saute for about a minute.
- Add black-eyed peas. Mix and cook for 2 minutes before adding water.
- Cover the pan and cook for around 5 minutes.
- Add spinach and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Finally add garam masala, lemon juice, and coriander leaves. Mix everything and switch off the gas. Serve hot with rice/ naan/ roti
Notes
- Black-eyed peas get cooked faster in comparison to other beans like kidney beans or chickpea so, cook them for a shorter period.
- If using canned beans, discard the liquid and rinse the beans before adding to the curry.
- Avoid adding a lot of water to this curry. It tastes the best when made slightly thicker.
I bet this is good! I will definitely give it a try as black eye peas is one of my favorites.
Thanks Sally.
Thank you Vandana. I followed your recipe, yummy with Spinach.
Hi Surya, thanks a lot for sharing your feedback with me.