curry, black-eye bean, Punjabi

Dassana Amit’s Punjabi Lobia Masala is her black-eyed-bean curry in a spiced onion-and-tomato base. This selection uses dried beans, the selected soaking step and stovetop pressure cooking, finished with coriander and offered with prepared steamed basmati rice.

The dried black-eyed beans are rinsed in water, soaked, drained and rinsed again in fresh water, then drained well and kept aside. Neutral cooking oil heats in the selected pressure cooker with cumin seeds. Supplied chopped onion is sautéed with frequent stirring until translucent.

Supplied chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies are sautéed, followed by the supplied chopped tomatoes. Turmeric, red chilli powder, ground coriander and garam masala are mixed in and cooked over low heat until the tomatoes soften and oil leaves the masala sides. The same drained beans join and are mixed through.

Fresh cooking water and salt are added and stirred in before pressure cooking. Once pressure falls naturally, the lid is opened and the beans are checked with the selected spoon. The gravy then simmers uncovered; the selected optional mashing of a few cooked beans thickens it.

Supplied chopped coriander leaves are stirred through, with a separate optional coriander garnish at service. This selection retains the author’s suggested prepared steamed basmati rice.