Fresh Black Eyed Peas Usal

Every year I look forward to summer here as if its my first summer in this country. Farmers markets are one of the most important reason. I just love to see the bounty summer has to offer. In past few years I have shared recipes of simple recipes of various leafy greens and other vegetables like long beans, hyacinth beans. Matured long beans yield fresh black eyed peas. As a kid mom used to wash and give these pods to me and bother to eat. We would spend hours peeling these and eating the fresh and tender beans. Here the beans are bigger and much easy to peel than in India.

Mom makes various curries with these but this one is my most favorite. This is very versatile recipe like all her recipes. 

Long bean pods flaunting the tender beans. 

Fresh back eyed peas, ready to be used.

You will need - 

2 cups of Fresh Black Eyed Peas

1 Medium Sized Onion

2 tsp Red Chili Powder (or per taste)

1 tsp Garam Masala

2 tbsp Fresh Coconut

Small piece of Ginger

2-3 Cloves of Garlic

6-7 Stalks of Cilantro

Salt per taste

2-3 Amsool 

1 tsp Jaggery (optional)

For Tempering - 2 tsp Oil, 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds & Cumin seeds, Pinch of Turmeric & Hing, Few curry leaves

Water as needed

Preparation - 

Finely dice onion. Grind coconut, ginger,  garlic, and cilantro into fine paste.

Heat oil in thick bottom pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Add hing and turmeric when the mustard seeds start spluttering. Add curry leaves and sauté just for few seconds. 

Now add chopped onion and sauté until translucent. 

Now add black eyed peas, saute for 3-4 minutes. 

Add 1 cup of water. Cover and let the beans cook partially.*

Add ginger-garlic-cilantro-coconut paste, garam masala and red chili powder and salt. Mix well.

Now let the beans cook completely and then add amsool and jaggery. Boil it for a minute. 

This usal is not dry, it has little bit of watery curry. Enjoy with rice or chapati or bhakari. 

Tips - 

1. *If you are in a hurry, wash and pressure cook the beans for 5-7 minutes with just 2-3 tbsp water. 
2. Same recipe can be used with fresh lima beans, fresh pigeon peas, fresh garbanzo beans, and fresh hyacinth beans.