This lobia recipe or black eyed peas curry is a tasty and filling dish that tastes so good with both roti and rice. The beans are cooked in the pressure cooker/instant pot, simmered in a delicious tomato gravy, and topped with fried onions and green chillies. Indian vegetarian food at its best!
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About Lobia or Black Eyed Peas
In the Western tradition, black-eyed peas are supposed to bring good luck if eaten in the new year. But in North India, these robust and earthy beans are eaten all year round with a lot of gusto... needless to say, in the form of a curry:) Indians love a good curry (and so does the rest of the world, I suspect), and this lobia curry is as good as it gets. With some common ingredients like onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and spices and a simple enough method of cooking, there's no way you can go wrong with this dish.
Lobia tastes equally nice with roti (Indian bread) or rice, and you can have spoonfuls of it from a bowl (like soup) if that's what you like. I always make a large batch and I'm never sorry I did. You can't make it in small amounts, it's just that sort of recipe. Not because you can't, but because you will immediately regret not making lots of it as soon as you taste it! Plus, it keeps well in the fridge for a few days so there's no reason to be stingy. And of course, your pressure cooker will make short work of cooking the beans.
Like using your instant pot? Check out these curries as well: rajma masala (curried kidney beans), vegetable korma, mushroom masala, and Punjabi chole (curried chickpeas).
Ingredients
Note: Exact amounts of ingredients are given in the recipe card below. Scroll down for the recipe card.
Instructions
The key to making this delicious lobia recipe is to prep ahead. It will make the whole cooking process easy and smooth.
Preparation
1. Soak the beans in enough water to cover them completely. Overnight is preferable, but if you're in a hurry 4-5 hours should be enough. Soaking makes the beans soft and easy to cook.
2. Slice one onion (for tempering the curry in the last step) and keep it aside for now.
3. Chop the other onion, tomato, ginger and garlic roughly and blend them with a little water to get a smooth puree.
Cooking
1. Rinse the cooked beans and add them to the inner steel insert of your instant pot along with 3 cups of water. Pressure cook for 20 minutes and once the timer beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
Note: If you have a stovetop pressure cooker, cook the beans on high until one whistle sounds. Reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes. A stovetop pressure cooker takes a little less time than the instant pot.
2. While the beans are cooking, prepare the curry base. Heat the oil in a pan and add the puree you prepared in step 3 of preparation. Add the powdered spices (coriander, turmeric, red chilli, garam masala, and salt. Stir this until the oil leaves the sides and the curry is glossy. Like so:
Tips: This step will take about 8-10 minutes on medium heat, but you do need to stir almost continuously if you want to avoid splattering. You'll also probably have to add a few splashes of water to make a smooth and thick curry like the one pictured above.
3. Once the beans are done cooking in the instant pot, add the above curry to the beans. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or so or until the beans are well-mixed with the curry.
4. Now, prepare the tempering. Fry the onions you sliced in step 2 of preparation and when they turn golden brown, add the green chillies. Pour this tempering over the curry, and you're good to go. Serve the lobia with some warm roti or steamed rice for a hearty meal.
Top Tips
1. Do soak the beans for a few hours or overnight for perfect texture and softness. If you forgot and still want to make this curry, increase the pressure cooking time by 15 minutes at least.
2. Sauté the curry well before adding it to the beans, for this is the secret to a tasty curry that doesn't have any raw smell or taste. If the masala is not well roasted, the curry just won't taste good.
Liked this lobia recipe? Check out this collection of 30+ Indian vegetarian recipes made in the instant pot.
📖 Recipe
Lobia Recipe (Black Eyed Peas Curry)
Equipment
- Instant Pot Duo 6-quart
- Cooking pan medium-sized
- frying pan small
Ingredients
- 2 cups black-eyed peas lobia
- 1 red onion medium-sized
- 0.7 oz garlic 5 big cloves
- 0.7 oz ginger 2" piece
- 1 tomato medium-sized
- ⅓ cup cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste
For tempering
- 1 red onion medium-sized, sliced fine
- 2 green chillies
Instructions
Preparation
- Soak the black-eyed beans in enough water to cover the beans, preferably overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours.
- Chop the onion, ginger, garlic and tomato roughly and put in a blender along with a little water. Blend to get a smooth puree.
Cooking
- Rinse the soaked black-eyed peas under running water in a colander and put them in the steel insert of your instant pot. Add 3 cups water. Note: For stovetop pressure cooker, see note #3.
- Secure the lid, press the pressure cooking button (high) and set the timer to 20 minutes. Make sure the steam release handle is on 'sealing.' When the timer beeps, allow the steam to escape naturally, then open the pot.
- While the beans are cooking in the instant pot, make the curry base. Add the ⅓ cup oil to a medium-sized pan and heat it on medium heat. Tip in the puree you prepared in step 2 of preparation along with the powdered spices (turmeric, red chilli, coriander, and garam masala powders) and salt. Sauté this using a spoon, until the oil leaves the sides and the curry is glossy.
- Once the beans are done cooking in the instant pot, add the above curry to the beans. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or so or until the beans are well-mixed with the curry.
- Now, prepare the tempering. Fry the sliced onions under 'tempering' and when they turn golden brown, add the green chillies. Pour this tempering over the curry. Serve lobia with some warm roti or steamed rice.
Notes
- Soaking time for the beans is not included in the total time.
- Do soak the beans overnight or at least for a few hours for the perfect texture and softness. If you forgot and still want to make this curry, increase the cooking time by 15 minutes at least.
- For stovetop pressure cookers: cook the beans on high heat until one whistle sounds. Reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes. A stovetop pressure cooker takes a little less time than the instant pot.
- Sauté the curry well before adding it to the beans, for this is the secret to a tasty curry that doesn't have any raw smell or taste. If the masala is not well roasted, the curry just won't taste good.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think: