Black eyed bean curry / Cowpea sambar
Simple and healthy curry made with black eyed beans, vegetables and spices.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cowpeas
- 3 medium sized tomatoes
- 15 to 20 shallots
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves
- 2 brinjals
- 1 cup chopped bottle gourd
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp sambar powder
- Salt to taste
- 3 dried red chillies
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste or tamarind water from lemon sized tamarind
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp oil
- Coriander leaves for garnishing
For tempering
- ¼ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp split urad dal
- ½ tsp chana dal
- 1 sprig of curry leaves
- A pinch of asafoetida
Instructions
- Wash and soak cowpeas for at least 6 hours. I usually soak it overnight.
- In a pressure cooker add soaked cowpeas, garlic cloves, chopped tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder and 3 cups of water. Pressure cook on high flame for 5 whistles. Let the pressure release on its own.
- In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds crackle add chana dal, urad dal and asafoetida.
- Immediately add chopped shallots, curry leaves and red chillies.
- Once the onions turn transparent, add sambar powder, mix well, saute for just under a minute and switch off the stove.
- Now open the pressure cooker once the pressure has released completely and check whether the cowpeas are thoroughly cooked. If not, cook for 3 more whistles.
- Now add chopped brinjals and bottle gourd to the cowpea in the same pressure cooker.
- Add the tempered onion & sambar powder mixture, tamarind, ½ cup water if needed and pressure cook again for 1 whistle in medium flame.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally and garnish with coriander leaves.