Lobia recipe ( mashed cowpea ) | Karamani Masiyal
Lobia or cowpeas is also known as Karamani / thatta payir in Tamil. Karamani Masiyal is commonly made in Tamilnadu where the lobia beans are soaked overnight, soft cooked in a pressure cooker and blended coarsely along with tempered spices.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Kadai
- Blender
Ingredients
To pressure cook
- ½ cup cowpeas / Karamani
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium sized tomato
- ½ tsp castor oil
- Salt to taste
To saute
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tbsp peppercorns
- ½ tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 dried red chilli
- 10 shallots
- A pinch of asafoetida
To temper
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- A sprig of curry leaves
Instructions
- Soak the cowpeas for at least 4 hours or overnight. Wash thoroughly and drain the water.
- In a pressure cooker add the soaked lobia / karamani, salt, garlic cloves, tomato and salt. Pressure cook for 6 whistles in low-medium flame and allow the pressure to release naturally. Save the remaining water to use while blending.
- Heat oil in a pan or kadai, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
- When they crackle add peppercorns and coriander seeds and roast them on low flame for a few seconds.
- Now add shallots and dried red chilli.
- Saute till shallots turn translucent and are slightly browned.
- Add this mixture to the cooked cowpeas and allow them to completely cool down.
- Transfer everything into a blender.
- Blend into a coarse mixture. Add the leftover water from the pressure cooker to adjust the consistency.
- Transfer the mixture into a bowl.
- Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle add curry leaves.
- Add this tadka mixture to the mashed cowpeas.
- Serve hot with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.
Notes
- You can make this recipe with either white lobia or red lobia. Both works fine.
- Though you can replace shallots with onions, shallots give an unique flavour and taste to the dish.
- If you forgot to soak the cowpeas, just soak them in hot water for an hour and continue with the recipe.