No oil Recipe: Basic black-eyed pea curry

Why include it in your diet?

Health benefits:

• Improves digestive health

• Helps prevent constipation

• Prevents anemia

• Promotes heart health

• controls blood sugar

Black- eyed bean Nutrients : (per 100 gm)

• Protein 23.85g

• Fiber, total dietary 10.7

• Calcium, Ca 85mg

• Iron, Fe 9.95mg

• Magnesium, Mg 333mg

• Phosphorus, P 438mg

• Potassium, K 1375mg

• Sodium, Na 58mg

• Zinc, Zn 6.11mg

• Copper, Cu 1.059mg

• Manganese, Mn1.544mg

• Selenium, Se9.1µg

• Vitamin C, ascorbic acid1.5mg

• Thiamin 0.68mg

• Riboflavin 0.17mg

• Niacin 2.795mg

• Pantothenic acid 1.511mg

• Vitamin B-60. 361mg

• Folate 639µg

• Vitamin A, 33 IU

Caution:

Black eyed pea may cause bloating or gas in some people. Soaking overnight can reduce the effect.

Recipe:

This versatile bean curry is one of the regular entrées of my weekly menu. Easy to make and loved by all. It goes with rice as well as flat breads perfectly. I follow the original soaking-boiling process for cooking beans. But, canned one is pretty handy in times of spontaneity. It is important to rinse it well before using it. I often customize it according to the availability of ingredients. I do add carrots and celery on several occasions. Black-eyed pea is one humble bean that tastes well with many veggies like potatoes, celery, carrots; here, I am presenting the fundamental way to prepare Black-eyed bean curry without using oil.

Serves - (4-5)

Preparation time - 20 mins

cook time - 30 mins

Total time - 50 mins

Ingredients:

Black-eyed bean - 1 cup (dried)

Onions- 1 medium

Tomatoes- 2 medium

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp.

Bay leaf- 1

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Asafetida – 1 pinch

Chickpea flour – 2 tbsp. ( Dry roast gram flour/chickpea flour in low flame for 2 mins)

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp.

Garam masala powder – ½ tsp

Red chili powder- ½ tsp – ¼ tsp (optional)

Black pepper – freshly crushed (3-4)

Salt - as per taste

Directions:

1. Soak lentils for 8 hours

2. Cook lentil with salt and water till soft. If your using pressure cooker, cook till 3 whistles.

3. Take a pot dry roast cumin seeds, bay leaf, and asafetida.

4. Add 2 tbsp. of lentil broth. Sauté onions in broth for 3-4 mins until it is brown. Keep on adding 1 tbsp. broth at a time if needed.

5. Add ginger- garlic paste.

6. Sauté for 2 mins

7. Add chopped tomatoes

8. Add salt and turmeric powder

9. Add freshly crushed peppercorn.

10. Sauté the mixture till mushy.

11. Add roasted gram flour.

12. Add Cooked black-eyed pea.

13. Add garam masala /all-spice powder.

14. Cover the lid. Let it simmer for 5 mins.

15. Add lemon juice. Garnish it with cilantro.

16. Serve it hot with white or brown rice.

References:

1. Antioxidant and Phytochemical Studies of 31 Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata (L. Walp.)) Genotypes from Burkina Faso (nih.gov)

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214514116300551

3. Full article: Effect of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the phenolic compound content and in vitro antioxidant capacity of processed Cowpea (V. unguiculata) cultivars (tandfonline.com)

4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278691511002006

5. Nutrients, Antinutrients, Phenolic Composition, and Antioxidant Activity of Common Bean Cultivars and their Potential for Food Applications - PubMed (nih.gov)

6. FoodData Central (usda.gov)