Masala Black-Eyed Peas

By Zainab Shah

Published June 7, 2023

Masala Black-Eyed Peas
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(653)
Comments
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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. 

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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.

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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

5 out of 5
653 user ratings
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Comments

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!

Emily Rose

I like to whip this up when I'm hosting a weeknight dinner and short on time. I serve it over brown rice and top it with avocado and as much serrano as my guests can handle. My latest iteration was a 50/50 black-eyed pea/lima bean mix (both cooked from dry) because I didn't have quite enough of either to go with just one type. This is a versatile, simple, and tasty dish!

Sarah M.

great served with rice and raita on the side.

Phillip

Great recipe. Don't make my mistake to try and cook the beans in the sauce. It worked out in the end but the tomatoes really slowed down/stunted the cooking. The beans were still starchy after 1:30hrs of cooking :)

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