Mangalorean Spinach and Black-Eyed Peas Curry
Mangalorean cuisine is diverse! With all the different cultures of the varied communities from the region being intertwined here, this is no surprise. But even so, whenever Mangalorean cuisine is spoken about, it is generally the seafood based dishes or the chicken or pork dishes that get a generous mention. But, there are a wide variety of vegetarian dishes that can stand tall among these usual suspects. The Mangalorean Spinach and Black-Eyed Peas Curry is once such iconic dish and I have no hesitation in saying, this arguably is the crown-jewel among vegetarian dishes in Mangalorean cuisine.
The Mangalorean Spinach and Black-Eyed Peas Curry is a creamy, flavour packed curry which you will keep slurping on endlessly. It is your perfect companion on a rainy day topped on some par-boiled rice along with some fried fish for company. Read on to know how to make this flavour packed Mangalorean Spinach and Black-Eyed Peas Curry.
How to make Mangalorean Spinach and Black-Eyed Peas Curry
Begin by rinsing and soaking the black-eyed peas overnight, in sufficient water. Separate the leaves and stalks from the spinach. Cut the stalks into 3-inch lengths. Clean the leaves and the stalks under running water and keep them ready for cooking. Drain the soaked Black-eyed peas and pressure cook them with salt and sufficient water. Strain them and set aside. Pick out the not so tender spinach stalks and pressure cook them in the same water used to cook the peas. Strain and set aside.
In a pan, toast some dried red chillies, black pepper corns, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and coriander seeds until they turn aromatic. Transfer them to a plate and set aside to cool. In the same pan, toast some chopped onions and garlic flakes till the onions soften and turn translucent. Add some grated coconut, mix well and continue to toast until the coconut turns golden brown and gives off a nutty aroma. Mix in some turmeric and toast for a few seconds. Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool. Grind all these toasted ingredients along with tamarind and water to a smooth fine paste and set aside.
To make the Spinach and Black-Eyed Peas Curry, transfer the water used for cooking the black-eyed peas and spinach stalks, to a large enough pot and cook the spinach leaves and the tender stalks until the leaves wilt. Add in the masala paste to the pot followed by the cooked black-eyed peas and the stalks to the curry and gently mix everything together and bring to a boil. Adjust the salt if needed. And also adjust the consistency of the curry if needed, by adding the leftover masala water from the mixer or just plain water and simmer for a couple of minutes.
For the tempering, heat some coconut oil in a tempering pan (tadka pan). Add some crushed garlic flakes and fry them until they turn golden brown. Add them to the curry, close the lid and let the flavours infuse. Take the pot off the heat. The Mangalorean Spinach and Black Eyed Peas Curry is ready!
To serve, top some par-boiled rice with this Mangalorean Spinach and Black-Eyed Peas Curry, accompanied with some delicious fried fish.
Mangalorean Spinach and Black-Eyed Peas Curry
Ingredients
- ½ cup Black-eyed Peas, soaked overnight
- 1 bunch Malabar Spinach (see notes), Leaves and stalks separated & stalks cut into 3" lengths, cleaned and set aside
- Salt, as per taste
for the Masala:
- 3 piece Dried red chillies, Long (I used Byadgi)
- 2 piece Dried red chillies, Short (I used Ramnad)
- ½ tsp Black Peppercorns (about 5-6 pieces)
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 1 piece Onion (roughly chopped)
- 5 piece Garlic flakes
- 1 cup Grated Coconut
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 piece Tamarind (marble-sized)
- ½ cup Water, (for grinding)
for the Tempering:
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 3 piece Garlic Flakes (lightly crushed)
Instructions
Pressure Cooking:
- Wash the Black-eyed Peas, add salt and pressure cook them with sufficient water (to cover them) for 2 whistles
- Strain the cooked peas and set them aside
- In the water used to cook the peas, pressure cook the not-so tender stalks for 1 whistle and set them aside
Making the Masala:
- In a pan, toast the dried red chillies, black pepper corns, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and coriander seeds until they turn aromatic
- Transfer them to a plate and set aside to cool
- In the same pan, toast the onions and garlic till the onions soften and turn translucent
- Add the grated coconut, mix well and continue to toast until the coconut turns golden brown and gives off a nutty aroma
- Mix in the turmeric and toast for a few seconds. Take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool
- In a mixer grinder, grind all the toasted ingredients along with tamarind and water to a smooth fine paste
Making the Spinach and Black-eyed peas curry:
- Transfer the water from the pressure cooker (used for cooking the black-eyed peas and spinach stalks) to a large enough pot and cook the spinach leaves and the tender stalks until the leaves wilt
- Add the masala paste to the pot and gently give it a good mix
- Add the cooked black-eyed peas and the stalks to the curry and gently mix everything together and bring to a boil
- Adjust the salt if needed. Also adjust the consistency of the curry if needed, by adding the leftover masala water from the mixer (or plain water)
- Simmer the curry for a couple of minutes.
Tempering the Curry:
- In a tadka pan, heat the coconut oil (or your preferred vegetable oil)
- Add the crushed garlic flakes and fry them until they turn golden brown
- Add them to the curry, close the lid and let the flavours infuse. Take the pot off the heat.
Serving suggestions:
- Top some Mangalorean boiled rice with this delicious curry and enjoy it with a fried-fish
Notes
- Instead of Malabar Spinach, regular spinach leaves can be used in this recipe.
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