Coconut Black-Eyed Pea Curry (lobia)

A Fiery Vegan Punjabi Curry with Rich Coconut Milk

Coconut Black-Eyed Pea Curry Recipe: Fiery vegan Punjabi curry with coconut milk, sample recipe from Terry Hope Romero's cookbook Vegan Eats World. Very flavorful with lots of heat & acid, goes well with basmati rice or naan bread.

Vegan Indian curry recipe is also known as Lobia. This black-eyed peas recipe is traditionally made with dairy yogurt but Romero calls for coconut milk, and also recommends trying this recipe with kidney beans.

Total prep & cook time: 45 min

4 Servings

Nutrition Data, 85g Serving: 170 cal, 26g carb, 6g fat, 445mg sodium, 2g fiber, 4g protein, low Cholesterol, good source Vit. K. Estimated glycemic load 15

Ingredients:

• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1-inch piece peeled ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tsp. Garam Masala
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 4 tsp. vegetable oil
• Two 14 ounce cans (4 cups) cooked black-eyed peas or red kidney beans, or a combination, drained and rinsed

• 2/3 cup water or vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup coconut milk, regular or reduced fat
• 2 tsp. lime juice
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. In a food processor pulse together the onion, ginger, garlic, garam masala, cayenne, salt, and cardamom to form a smooth paste
2. Heat the oil in a wok or stainless steel skillet over medium heat until it ripples, then stir-fry the onion mixture for 2 minutes
3. Add the beans, water or broth, bay leaves, and coconut milk and increase heat to high, stirring occasionally
4. Bring the mixture to an active simmer for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
5. If a thicker consistency is desired, continue to simmer the beans
6. Remove the bay leaves and stir in lime juice and cilantro and serve with rice or naan

Recipe Tips:

While Romero calls for canned black eyed peas, they cook quickly enough (under an hour on the stove and much less in a pressure cooker) that it is worth it to make them from scratch since freshly cooked beans taste much better. Plus you can make extra and freeze for future recipes.

If you don't like a lot of heat in your food, reduce the cayenne pepper to just a pinch and add 1/2 teaspoon of paprika.

Romero says to cook the lobia for a longer or shorter time depending on how thick you would like your curry to be.

Recipe Comments:

Coconut Black-Eyed Pea Curry (lobia): This is WONDERFUL.... I just wanted to add that I add ground coriander (1tsp) and I use coconut oil, which makes it all the better :) Thanks for your recipes! - Adeana E.

Your comments & questions help improve our recipes, so don't be shy! Contact Us