Black Eyed Peas Curry - Konkani Style

This past weekend saw us driving seven hours to meet family. S is now used to being tied in in his car seat but not for that long. He prefers the free-will style of riding that Bangalore provided! :) So with many halts and a few tantrums, we managed there and back in one piece and in pretty good dispositions too. I guess that is what a much-needed break does. S & M both take to kids immediately. And while S takes to adults quite quickly (a little bribe always helps there, I must add!), M needs a longer time and lot of forced interactions from the adult before she opens up. The five cousins, ranging from eight to two, had a jolly good time together and we adults were able to relax and just chill.

Coming to this curry, the masala is a typical Konkani one. My MIL sometimes dry roasts the coconut and sometimes not. Both have their own distinctive flavors and I like them both equally. The plain garlic tadka adds a wonderful flavor to the curry. Use coconut oil, if you can, like the Konkanis do. Any other cooking oil works fine too.



Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried black eyed peas (or a 14oz can and skip the soaking/pressure cooking)
4-5 big cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate
1 tsp coconut oil
salt to taste

To roast and grind:
1/2 cup coconut gratings/shreds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1/5 tsp methi seeds (optional)
4-5 dried red chilies

Method:

Soak the black eyed beans for a few hours and pressure cook with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt, until well cooked but not mushy. Drain and keep aside. Reserve about half a cup of the drained water.
IN a pan, dry roast the roast and grind ingredients, adding coconut in the end for about 10 seconds. Cool and grind along with tamarind concentrate & water to make a slightly runny paste.
In the same pan, combine the cooked beans, the reserved water and the ground masala. Add more water for a thinner consistency.
Add salt and bring to a boil.
Heat coconut oil and fry the crushed garlic, until slightly browned. Pour this over the cooked curry.
Serve with chappatis or plain white rice.