This Black-Eyed Pea Curry, or rongi, is one of my best Indian recipes, as my mother calls it in Punjabi. This legume(फली) is named after the tiny black marking in the center of it that looks like an eye! You won’t think how easy it is to use precooked and canned black-eyed peas to make a tasty black-eyed pea curry before you try it yourself! Instructions for the use of dried peas are given for those strict traditionalists. You will have to soak them overnight if you use dried black-eyed peas and then boil them to make them tender. The sauce consistency of this dish can be eaten with Plain Basmati Rice or Rice with Cumin and Peas or Indian breads like roti.
Prepration Time
- Prep time: 10 min + overnight soaking (12 hr) if using dried black-eyed peas
- Cook time: 30 min + an additional hour if using dried black-eyed peas
- Refriger life: 3 days
- Freezer life: 1 month
- Reheating method: Put the curry in a microwave, cover and stir regularly, refrigerated or defrosted. Or, put it over medium-low heat in a saucepan and stirring periodically. If the curry seems to be too thick, you should add a little water to it.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger 1 small onion, shredded
on the largest grating holes of a box grater 1 fully ripe tomato, cut into 4
pieces - ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Two 15 oz (425 g) cans pre-cooked black-eyed peas with liquid from cans or
- 1 cup (180 g) dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and cooked, with
- 1½ cups (375 ml) of the cooking liquid
- ½ cup (125 ml) water if using canned black-eyed peas
Method
- Spill the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, ginger, and onion when the oil is heated. Stir about 5 min until the onion is
crispy, stirring frequently. - Reduce to medium-low heat. Add tomato and cover with the casserole. Cook until the tomato is soft and mashed and then mix it with the onion to
form a coarse paste, stirring every minute or so and mashing the tomato slightly for about 5 min. - Add the red pepper, black pepper, and salt, turmeric. Cook for 6 min uncovered, stirring constantly.
- Add the canned black-eyed peas with their liquid and the extra 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) water and bring over high temperature to a rolling boil. (Or
combine 11⁄2 cup (375 ml) of their cooking liquid to the boiled blackeyed peas and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.) - Reduce to substrate-low heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 min to thicken the curry and allow the flavors to infuse. Love the room temperature now or let it cool down and cool down or freeze later!
