Punjabi Lobia - Curried Black Eyed Peas

beans & grainsbean recipesvegetarianlunchdinnerindian

Jun 14

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One of favourite beans and incredibly nutritious. This **Punjabi Lobia** curry is a simple curry that’s full of goodness and is very satisfying! The lobia/black eyed peas are cooked in a mild onion and tomato based curry.

This Punjabi lobia is another one of my favourite recipes that I'm super excited to be sharing with you! It is a curry with black eyed peas and loads of tomatoes, it is healthy, tasty, nutritious and goes well with Steamed Rice or Classic Homestyle Roti.

Black eyed peas have a unique flavour which works great with some Indian spices and a light tomato and onion based gravy. My earliest memory is in first or second grade, when lunch used to be served in our classroom. I remember thinking to myself, “wow, this rajma is so tasty!” . Rajma is Hindi for kidney beans. I actually had no clue what blacked eyed peas were when I fell in love with them!!

Then years later, my mom decided to make it for us and I was re-introduced to the same delicious aroma. The best part about black eyed peas is how creamy they become once cooked. I enjoy this dish whenever I want to indulge in some all vegetarian cuisine. Plus, these beans are high in protein and are incredibly nutrient dense.

This hits all of the familiar flavour points of Indian cooking and is such a great treat! It's been ages since I've had my mom’s classic recipe but I recently rediscovered this dish and I'm super excited to be sharing it with you!

Be sure to follow along with the video recipe above and enjoy this Punjabi lobia for a home-style Indian dinner tonight!

What is Lobia?

Translated to English, lobia means “Black Eyed Peas.” Yep, black eyed peas like the music group! They’re also known as cow peas.

Although they appear tiny, they’re actually nutritious powerhouses! One cup, 170 grams, of cooked black eyed peas contains 13 grams of protein, 11 grams of fibre, 88% of your daily intake of folate, 20% of your daily intake of zinc, and 10% of your daily intake of Vitamin B6. That’s just the start! They also are high in polyphenols, compounds that are antioxidants in the body to prevent cell damage and that protect against disease.

If you want to learn more about the nutritional benefits of lobia, then be sure to read the article here!

What is Punjabi Lobia Curry?

This is more of a home-style recipe, served in most households. This curry consists of lobia added in a spicy tomato and onion-based gravy. We flavour the gravy with aromatic whole spices, such as cinnamon and black cardamom, ginger and garlic, masalas such as garam masala, and green chilies for some heat. You can omit the green chilies if you don’t want the spice!

As I mention in many of my curries, I love lots of tomatoes, so I’m going quite heavy on the tomatoes here. You could use more or less depending on how much gravy you want.

Tips & Tricks for Punjabi Lobia

Lobia/Black eyed peas cook really quickly. If you have an Instant Pot, it does not even need to be soaked ahead of time. In 16-18 minutes, they are perfect. Let the pressure release naturally.
If you are using a stove top pressure cooker, once the pressure sets in, cook for 2-3 whistles (4-5 minutes) till the beans are soft. Let the pressure release naturally.
The peas are creamy and give a mild nutty flavour that shines through if cooked well.
This curry is very mildly spiced, so don’t overdo the the amount of spices you put in the curry. The sweetness from the onions and tomatoes will play well with the earthiness of the beans.

Ingredients for Punjabi Lobia

To make this Punjabi lobia recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

For the lobia

black eyed peas or lobia
bay leaf
black cardamom
cinnamon stick
turmeric
ginger
salt to taste
water as needed

For the curry

onions
tomatoes
ginger
garlic
cumin seeds
ghee
hing
Kashmiri chilli powder
ground coriander
amchur powder/dried mango powder
garam masala
turmeric
salt
green chilies (optional)
cilantro, for garnish

How to Make Punjabi Lobia

To Cook the Lobia/Black Eyed Peas

Using a Stove top Pressure Cooker

Soak the lobia overnight or for at least 4-6 hours.

Add dried lobia/black eyed peas, salt, the bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, turmeric, and ginger with 4 times the volume of water. Cook for 2-3 whistles on high heat, then turn down the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

Using an Instant Pot

In the Instant Pot add 4 times the volume of water, along with salt, bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, turmeric, and ginger.

If using dried black eyed peas, set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook mode on High and cook for 14-18 minutes. Ensure Instant Pot is in Sealing mode.

Otherwise, if you have soaked your black eyed peas for at least 4-6 hours, then set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook mode on High and cook for 5 minutes. Ensure Instant Pot is in Sealing mode.

Let the pressure release naturally (about 20 minutes)

To Make the Lobia Curry

Purée the ginger, garlic and onion and set aside. Purée the tomatoes in a food processor, set aside for later.

Heat ghee in a wok or a deep pan and crackle in the cumin seeds and add hing. Cook until the cumin seeds are reddish brown.

Add the puréed onions, garlic and ginger, along with the turmeric and ground coriander. Mix and cook until the mixture has become dry and lightly browned.

Add in the pureed tomatoes along with the red chili powder and salt. Mix and cook until the mixture has dried out a little bit.

Then add the black eyed peas along with the reserved water. Add any extra water as required to make a runny gravy, bringing it to a simmer.

Next add in garam masala and mango powder. Cook until the gravy has thickened to your liking. Serve hot and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

I recommend you serve Punjabi lobia with some simple fluffy steamed rice! Jeera rice will also work really well with this dish, as well as any of my favourite breads such as Punjabi Lachha Paratha, Classic Homestyle Roti/Chapati/Phulka and Classic Layered Paratha.

Can I Make Punjabi Lobia Vegan?

All the ingredients in this Punjabi lobia curry are vegan except for the ghee! To make this recipe vegan, simply substitute ghee with a plant-based cooking oil of your choice, such as olive oil.

Can I Make Punjabi Lobia in Advance?

Yes you can! I’ve done it and this curry tastes amazing the next days! Like they say about curries, the longer it sits, the more yummy it gets.

Plus, you can prepare the lobia in advance and have it ready in the refrigerator, so that when it comes time to prepare the curry, all that’s left is preparing the sauce.

Store the curry in containers in the fridge. You can reheat the lobia in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes, taking the container out in 45 second intervals to stir. Punjabi lobia will stay good in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Watch How to Make Punjabi Lobia - Curried Black Eyed Peas Here:

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cookingwithanadi. Thank you!

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Indian, Vegetarian, Beans & Legumes

Indian, North Indian

Yield: 4

Author: Anadi

Punjabi Lobia - Curried Black Eyed Peas

One of favourite legumes and incredibly nutritious. The lobia/black eyed peas are cooked in a mild onion and tomato based curry.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Ingredients

For the lobia/black eyed peas

1 Cup lobia/black eyed peas
salt to taste
1 bay leaf
1 badi elaichi/black cardamom
2 cm cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
water as needed

For the lobia curry

1 inch ginger, roughly chopped
4-5 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
2-3 medium tomatoes
2 Tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of hing
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
salt to taste
Cooked blacked eyed peas, plus reserved cooking water
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp amchur powder/dried mango powder
cilantro for garnish

Instructions

To cook the lobia/black eyed peas (stove top method)

Soak the lobia overnight or for at least 4-6 hours.
Add dried lobia/black eyed peas, salt, the bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, turmeric, and ginger with 4 times the volume of water.
Cook for 2-3 whistles on high heat, then turn down the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

To cook the lobia/black eyed peas (Instant pot method)

In the Instant Pot add 4 times the volume of water, along with salt, bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon stick, turmeric, and ginger.
If using dried black eyed peas, set Instant Pot to Pressure Cook mode on High and cook for 14-18 minutes. Ensure Instant Pot is in Sealing mode.
Otherwise, if you have soaked your black eyed peas for at least 4-6 hours, then set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook mode on High and cook for 5 minutes. Ensure Instant Pot is in Sealing mode.
Let the pressure release naturally (about 20 minutes)

To prepare the curry

Purée the ginger, garlic and onion and set aside. Purée the tomatoes in a food processor, set aside for later.
Heat ghee in a wok or a deep pan and crackle in the cumin seeds and add hing. Cook until the cumin seeds are reddish brown.
Add the puréed onions, garlic and ginger, along with the turmeric and ground coriander. Mix and cook until the mixture has become dry and lightly browned.
Add in the pureed tomatoes along with the red chili powder and salt. Mix and cook until the mixture has dried out a little bit.
Then add the black eyed peas along with the reserved water. Add any extra water as required to make a runny gravy, bringing it to a gentle simmer.
Next add in garam masala and mango powder. Cook until the gravy is to the desired thickness. Serve hot and enjoy :)