Masala Black-Eyed Peas

By Zainab Shah

Masala Black-Eyed Peas
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(389)
Notes
Read community notes

Tender, creamy, earthy black-eyed peas spruced up with ginger, garlic, chiles and hefty spices like Kashmiri red chile powder, cumin seeds and garam masala result in a comforting, piquant main. This dish is equally suitable for solo dining — the simple preparation results in versatile leftovers that can be had on toast, with eggs or cooked shredded meats — or for feeding a crowd. The cooking method is typical for beans and peas across South Asia, and the recipe works just as well with any cooked beans from chickpeas, kidney beans, peas or whatever cooked or canned variety may be handy. 

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 3tablespoons ghee or neutral oil
  • 1medium yellow or red onion, finely chopped
  • 1½teaspoons ginger paste or freshly grated ginger
  • 1½teaspoons garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
  • 1teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ¾teaspoon Kashmiri or other mild red chile powder
  • ¼teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 3Roma tomatoes, finely chopped or 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2(15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained
  • 3fresh green Thai or serrano chiles, chopped
  • 2tablespoons lemon juice (from about half a lemon)
  • ½teaspoon garam masala
  • 2tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)
  • Cooked rice or roti, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

235 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 33 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 569 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat ghee in a medium-sized pot for 30 seconds on medium-low. Add onion, ginger and garlic, and cook on high heat, stirring frequently, until onions are transparent, 5 to 7 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in cumin seeds, chile powder and turmeric. Add tomatoes and salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the oil separates, 5 to 7 minutes. (If you want your finished dish to be less saucy, cook the tomatoes a little longer.)

  3. Step 3

    Stir in black-eyed peas and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Top with green chiles, lemon juice, garam masala and cilantro, if you like. Serve with rice or roti.

Ratings

4 out of 5
389 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Erik(a) Johnson

I've been cooking this recipe for over a decade. My family loves it. Personally I would add more ginger and garlic. Taste the sauce before adding lemon juice - it depends on the tomatoes. A very small amount of sugar helps if the tomatoes aren't late-summer ripe. Instead of garam masala you can use a bit of allspice. Or use this as a base and then try other spices or spice mixtures; my favorite additions are some hing, black mustard seeds, and panch puran

Kathryn

Made in the Instant Pot using dried Rancho Gordo Black Eyed Peas, unsoaked. Used fire-roasted canned tomatoes with their juice. Added 4 cups homemade chicken broth. Omitted adding any salt until the end, when it was added to taste. 25 minutes on High with a 15 min wait before releasing the remaining pressure (15 min NPR) gave perfectly creamy Masala Black Eyed Peas. 1 TBL lemon juice was just right.

Faith aus Germany

This is delicious! I’m eating it right now. I used dried black eyed peas since it was all I had. I pressure cooked them (1c beans, 4c water, 1tbls EVOO, 1tsp salt) in my instant pot for 25 minutes, 15 minute natural release, the. Full release after. Turned out perfect. I used regular tomatoes diced very small, but didn’t have quite enough liquid left to boil so I used some of the bean cooking liquid. So good! I tasted before adding lemon. Lemon took it over the top for me!

Chris

Enjoyed it — but people, double the spices!

Nanette

This was really good. Would make again. I used 1 cup of dried beans instead of canned. Soaked them overnight, then simmered for about 45 min before adding them to the dish.

ERM

I had in the freezer a jar of black-eyed peas that had been cooked with bacon, so "smoke" was the theme; used sambhar masala and cobanero pepper (both also on hand, needed to be used); smoked paprika would be a great choice, too. The combination was fantastic. Added the last of some Swiss chard. No cilantro on hand, so used fresh mint. I know, that's a lot of substitutions but my point is, this is my favorite kind of recipe: an excellent template for improvisation.

Mary S

This was delicious. I used four Roma tomatoes instead of three and still added a bit of water as the tomatoes were cooking. I used one 540ml (19 oz) can of black eyed peas (I don't have an insta-pot like others here :( ). I couldn't find Kashmiri chili powder so googled a substitution that suggested three parts smoked paprika to one part cayenne. Worked well, I think. And I agree with other commenters: the lemon juice was *chef's kiss*

Carol

I really liked this for a vegan dish. Added more ginger and garlic per others' comments. I did not serve over rice as I didn't want the extra carbs. It was a really nice mix of complex flavors. I may try it with shiritaki noodles to add a bit more bulk without the extra calories.

llcAspen

Made this with garbanzo beans & it was terrific. Add a little water with the tomatoes if you use diced rather than crushed tomatoes.

Phil Z

Looks tasty. I'm going to try to adapt it to use uncooked beans and an instant pot to avoid the canned beans.

SJH

A little on the spicy side

Chris

Half pound dried black-eyed peas cooked in pressure cooker.; Double onions garlic and all spices. One fresh jalapeño minced. Absolutely delicious!!

Jesse

This is both a tasty and an easy weeknight recipe that will be made again and again. The recipe is very light on spices. I added lemon (1/2 a preserved lemon diced), Harissa and a sweet miso chili paste while forgoing the garam masala.

JessicaC

Absolutely delicious! Used dried beans and cooked the chilies in the curry. Served with roasted cauliflower and naan. Could use chickpeas, white beans, or kidney beans with outstanding results!

Kate

We've made this three times already and love it. Good for dinner and yummy over poached eggs.

Kate

I loved this for dinner. For those who haven't tried this recipe, the final addition of cilantro, garam masala and lemon juice really bring the entire dish together. The next day with the small amount leftover, topped poached eggs for a delicious breakfast.

Manny

Threw in some spinach to make it a fuller meal - delicious!

Shannon

Doubled all the spices per comments, same for garlic and ginger. Used the smoked paprika + cayenne in place of Kashmiri chili powder. Very good weeknight diner - easy, delicious, healthy, affordable ingredients. Great for leftovers. Will add in some hearty greens in future tries. Some paneer if feeling fancy. In the regular rotation!

Sweet Tooth

Would make again! The serrano peppers MAKE it! I also added chopped fresh green onions as a topping.

Eileen

I used frozen black eyed peas. I didn't realize they were raw until I'd dumped them into the sauce. So I added a cup of water and simmered them in the sauce for 45 minutes. Tastes great.

Alex

I live in Brazil, where the malagueta pepper (which is very hot) is the only pepper sometimes available in stores (not fresh, it comes preserved). My options for dry hot spices are cayenne pepper powder, red pepper flakes / calabresa, garam masala, and spicy paprika. People don't often eat spicy food here. What are some dry spices I should buy on my next visit to the US to bring back to Brazil to substitute for the Kashmiri peppers or other mild peppers used in this dish?

Jeff

Everyone in my family loves this easy weeknight recipe. I toast the cumin seeds in the oil before adding the onions. I think the recipe could use a little more sauce. I may add a half can of tomato sauce the next time I make this.

Courtney

I loved loved loved this recipe. The only changes I made were lack of chilis (just down to availability) and I followed another commenter's advice on substituting the Kashmiri chili powder with 3 smoked paprika to 1 other chili powder. I added half a cup of coconut milk at the end too. And skipped the lemon juice bc some of the other comments made me nervous about it! Anyway, one of my faaaavorite meals I've had lately.

incredible essy recipe!

Surprised at how easy it was to make this recipe. You don’t need to add the chiles or cilantro at the end. That was too extra. However, if you do add the chiles make sure to chop it up very small. We ended up with bigger chunks and it was very spicy. Can’t wait to make it again!

Thomas

Really nice! I doubled the garlic, ginger, and spices. Also added half a can of coconut milk to it a bit more creamy.

Private notes are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.

More From Cheap and Easy Dinner Ideas

Trending on Cooking

Cooking Guides