Indian black eyed peas curry (Lobia masala)

Indian cuisine has a lot of bean & lentil recipes and we Indians eat them almost every day. For a country with the highest number of vegetarians in the world, beans and lentils are a major source of protein.

They are a part of the staple diet of India so, a meal in India is incomplete without a bean or lentil dish.

Today I am sharing the recipe for a bean curry called lobia masala made with black-eyed peas.

My husband and I come from two different Himalayan states of India where black-eyed peas are consumed a lot. So we both grew up eating this dish quite frequently and love it.

The process of making Lobia curry is quite similar to that of making other Indian bean curries like Rajma, chole, or kale chane. If you learn how to make one, you can easily make the other recipes too.

What is lobia?

Lobia is the Hindi word for black-eyed beans. It’s also called Rongi in Punjab and Himachal, Chawli in Maharashtra, and has several other different names in different Indian states.

What's needed to make Indian-style black-eyed peas curry?

Ingredient notes

• Black-eyed peas: For Indian recipes, dried beans are cooked from scratch and then used in the recipes. It tastes better and is good for health too. However, if you are looking for a quicker option, canned beans can be used too.
• Whole spices: I have used bay leaf, black cardamom, cloves, cumin seeds, black peppers. You make skip and add 1-2 whole spices depending on what's available to you.
• Coriander powder: It's the ground form of dried coriander seeds and is used as a spice in a lot of Indian recipes.
• Kasoori methi: Dried fenugreek leaves are called kasoori methi. It's also used as a spice in Indian recipes and gives a very nice smoky flavor to the dish.
• Garam masala: It's a very flavorful blend of different Indian spices. Use it in moderation as it has a very strong flavor.
• Red chili powder: Use Kashmiri red chili powder. It gives the curry a bright red color to the dish and is not very hot too.

How to make (Step-by-step instructions)?

Step 1: Wash black-eyed beans and soak them in water for at least 7 hours or overnight.

Step 2: Put the soaked beans, water, and salt in a pressure cooker and cook for 4-5 whistles on a medium flame.

Step 3: Put roughly chopped onion, garlic, and ginger in a grinding jar and make a coarse paste. Transfer the paste to a bowl.

Step 4: Make another paste of tomatoes and green chilies. Keep it aside too.

Step 5: Heat oil in a cooking pot and add whole spices to it. Saute the spices for a few seconds or until they turn fragrant.

Step 6: Add onion paste. Cook until the paste turns golden brown. If the paste starts sticking to the pot add a few tablespoons of water and cook further.

Step 7: Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and crushed kasoori methi.

Step 8: Also, add 1-2 tablespoons of water and saute for a few seconds.

Step 9: Add tomato paste and salt.

Step 10: Cook until the tomatoes are no longer raw and change the color to a brighter red.

Step 11: Add cooked beans along with the water in which the beans were cooked. If required, add additional water to get the desired consistency. Mix everything. Cook covered for 6-7 minutes.

Step 12: Add garam masala and chopped cilantro. Mix.

Your delicious, comforting Indian black-eyed peas curry is ready to be served!

What to serve with lobia curry?

Serve this curry hot with rice or any Indian flatbread of choice like roti or paratha.

You can also enjoy a bowl of lobia masala as a bean soup.

Storing, freezing, and reheating tips

To store, allow the curry to reach room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container. It will be fine in the fridge for 2-3 days.

It freezes well too. To freeze just transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for 3-4 months.

To reheat the frozen curry, first, thaw it then transfer to a cooking pot. Cover the pot and reheat until the curry starts boiling. If required, add some boiling hot water to get the desired consistency.

You can also defreeze the curry in the microwave and then reheat it in the microwave for a few minutes. Keep stirring in between until evenly heated.

Recipe tips and tricks

• Lobia can be replaced with any other type of bean in this recipe.
• Black-eyed peas take lesser time to get cooked in comparison to other beans like kidney beans and chickpeas so, cook them carefully otherwise they will easily turn mushy.
• Though not a traditional way of making Indian-style beans curry you may use canned beans in this recipe, if you want. 
• You can also cook beans in a regular cooking pot but then it will take at least an hour to get the soaked beans cooked.
• Indians don't mind whole spices in their curries and just move them aside while eating. If, you don't want to do that, remove the whole spices like bay leaf and black cardamom before serving the curry. You can also tie the whole spices in a small piece of clean muslin cloth and then add them to the oil. Doing this will make removing the spices easier.

Frequently asked questions