Tips On The Kitchen: Black-Eyed Peas in a Yogurt Curry

Black-Eyed peas are traditionally served on New Year's Day as they are thought to bring prosperity in the Southeastern region of the US but also around the world. Often the beans are served with greens, which symbolize money, and the peas, because they swell while cooking, are thought to mean prosperity for the New Year and sometimes believed to represent coins. Cornbread is also a frequent serving option along with the legumes and is thought to represent gold. This earthy bean is a favorite anytime of year for me, but how could I resist the promise of good luck and a special friend to help me prepare my dish. It is always a treat to have a sous-chef to assist with my dinners. Serve with rice and any Indian flatbread for a most satisfying meal.

This is my first submission to My Legume Love Affair, # 31, a most popular event started by lovely Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook and hosted this month by Simona of Briciole.

1 cup of black-eyed peas, soaked overnight in enough water to cover
3 cups of water
3 black cardamon pods, crushed
1 inch stick of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of sea salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
a pinch of asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of turmeric
a generous handful of dried fenugreek leaves

1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 green chillies, finely chopped

1 cup of plain yogurt
3 green cardamom seeds, crushed
1/2 cup of fresh parsley, reserve some for garnish
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala

Drain the black-eyed peas and transfer to a large pot and bring to a boil with 3 cups of water, along with the cinnamon stick and black cardamom pods and sea salt. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover, stirring occasionally until the beans are soft - roughly 40 minutes, adding more water if necessary.

While the beans are cooking, prepare the sauce. In a frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, ground coriander, asafoetida, cayenne, ground cumin, turmeric and dried fenugreek leaves. Stir and fry for a minute or two. Now add the ginger, garlic, onion and green chilies and stir and fry for another few minutes. Gradually add the yogurt and then transfer the mixture to the black-eyed peas. Add the green cardamom seeds and the parsley. Simmer for another 15 minutes and then sprinkle with garam masala and a bit of parsley for garnish. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving and also any large bits of cardamom pods.

Serves 4-6.