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–+ servings

black-eyed pea curry

Preparations of black-eyed peas are common across all of India. This is the Goan way. It has plenty of chilli and coconut and a touch of tomato. This dish, alsande tonak, is a robust, spicy, hot preparation.
a bowl of black-eyed pea curry
prepare: 10 minutes
cook: 40 minutes
soak: 2 hours
total time: 2 hours 50 minutes
difficulty: moderate
yield: 4 servings
calories: 258 kcal
diet: gluten free
cuisine: goan, Indian

equipment

  • pressure cooker
  • wide pan with lid
  • slotted spoon

ingredients

for the masala

for the garlic and coconut paste

  • 1 tsp gingelly oil - (see notes)
  • 1 cup coconut - freshly grated
  • 1 brown onion - finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic - finely chopped

for the gravy

  • 1 tbsp gingelly oil - (see notes)
  • 1 red onion - finely chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tomato - pulp removed and finely chopped

for serving

instructions

  • Wash black-eyed peas well, cover with cold water and soak for two hours.
  • Once soaked, drain the water and place them into a pressure cooker with 1½ cups of cold fresh water and a teaspoon of salt. Bring to the boil, seal the pressure cooker and cook for ten minutes. Remove from heat and release the pressure cooker naturally.

prepare the masala

  • In a pan, fry the masala spices in one teaspoon of gingelly oil. Fry for one minute, or until spices become aromatic. Use a slotted spoon to remove the spices from the oil and aside to cool.

for the coconut paste

  • In the same pan, add one teaspoon of gingelly oil and fry the onion for five minutes, or until it begins to colour.
  • Once the onions are coloured, add the coconut and garlic cloves, then fry for five minutes, or until the mixture is golden brown, and the raw garlic aroma goes away. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.
  • Using a grinder or mortar and pestle, grind the fried masala spices and the fried coconut, onion and garlic together with as little water as possible to make a thick, smooth paste.

for the gravy

  • Bring the pan to medium heat. Add one tablespoon of gingelly oil and fry the red onion for about two minutes or until it softens.
  • Add the tomato and fry for about two minutes, or until it softens.
  • Add the paste made from the masala spices and coconut and mix well. Fry for two minutes, stirring continuously. You will get a spice and coconut aroma as this incorporates into the onion and tomato.
  • Add the cooked black-eyed peas and the water from the pressure cooker, and mix well, but gently. Use a folding technique to mix, as you do not want to break down the black-eyed peas. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Add water if required, but only one or two tablespoons at a time.
  • Check the seasoning and add salt, if required. Add the salt in tiny amounts, mix and taste again.

to serve

  • Transfer to a serving dish, add the coriander leaves, mix gently and serve.

notes

  • Black-eyed peas are best sourced from a health food shop.
  • Be very gentle with the cooked black-eyed peas. Vigorous stirring will break down their texture and turn this dish to mush.
  • If you follow this recipe, you should not need to add additional water, which may make the dish thin and runny.
  • Gingelly oil is Indian sesame oil. It is very different from the Asian sesame oil, being much less intense in flavour. Substitute with vegetable oil if unobtainable.

private notes

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nutrition

Serving: 175 g | Calories: 258 kcal | Carbohydrates: 29 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 13 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 1177 mg | Potassium: 518 mg | Fiber: 10 g | Sugar: 7 g | Vitamin A: 665 IU | Vitamin C: 11.1 mg | Calcium: 67 mg | Iron: 3.5 mg