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Instant Pot Lobia Recipe (Black Eyed Peas Curry)

Tanvi Srivastava
This punjabi style lobia recipe features soft and tender black eyes peas cooked in an onion - tomato gravy fragrant with aromatic spices.Vegan & gluten free!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Soaking Time 6 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup black eyed peas (lobia)
  • 3 tablespoon mustard oil or any cooking oil
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 cup onion finely chopped
  • 1.5 teaspoon garlic paste
  • ½ teaspoon ginger minced
  • 1.25 cup tomato finely chopped
  • 2 cup hot water
  • 2 green chilies optional
  • 8-10 ginger julinnes
  • 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro to garnish

Ground Spices

  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder (medium hot), I use degi mirch, adjust to taste
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1.25 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder start with ¼ teaspoon and then adjust to taste
  • ½ teaspoon kasuri methi crushed fine between palms, optional
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon amachur powder )dry mango powder), substitute with lemon juice to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place the raw dry lobia beans in a large bowl and wash 2-3 times under running water.
  • Soak in excess water for 6 hours only. Don't oversoak else the skins of lobia starts peeling off.
  • Press SAUTE(Normal Mode) on Instant pot and pour mustard oil into the steel insert. Let the oil heat up until slightly smoky.
  • Sprinkle cumin seeds and bay leaf. Saute for 5-7 seconds so that the seeds crackle.
  • Add the chopped onions and let cook to golden brown. Takes about 5-7 minutes.
  • Add ginger and garlic pastes, along with spice powders - turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powders. Splash in a little water to prevent burning. Sauté for 45 seconds to 1 minute until the raw aroma disappears.
  • Stir in the tomatoes & salt next. Cook until the tomatoes soften and oil starts separating from the sides .The masala is ready for adding soaked beans and it should be thickish , jammy and glistening at this stage. Please see images to get an idea.
  • Add the drained and soaked lobia to the onion-tomato gravy now. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes with the masala to get them started.
  • Switch off the saute mode now. Pour hot water, ginger julinnes and green chilies. Give the beans a mix and close the lid of Instant Pot.
  • Press "Pressure Cook" and set timer for 11 minutes. Make sure that the valve in seal position. Let cook on high pressure. 
  • Once you hear a beep,allow natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
  • Open the lid, add the garam masala powder and amchur powder(or lime juice). Give it a gentle stir. You may add little crushed kasoori methi if desired.
  • Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro.Serve with indian flatbreads or jeera rice. Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave. 

For Stove top Pressure Cooker

  • Cook as per steps above. When you close the lid of pressure cooker, let the first whistle come on medium heat and after that reduce the flame to low medium/ Let cook for 2-3 more whistles(about 10-12 minutes). Let pressure release naturally.

Notes

  1. Avoid using dry beans that have been sitting in your pantry for more than three months. Older beans tend to take longer to cook and often fail to reach the desired tenderness. Additionally, their flavor can become dull.
  2. Compared to other dried bean varities, black-eyed peas cook incredibly fast. You need to soak the beans for about 4-6 hours only (no need of overnight soaking!). There's also no need to pre-boil them like rajma or chickpeas.
  3. Onion & Tomatoes - Make sure to use finely chopped onions and crushed tomatoes. Since black-eyed peas cook quickly, larger pieces of onions or tomatoes may not soften in time and hence the sauce feels unfinished or remains separated.
  4. If you want to use canned black eyed beans, drain them and cook down the masala until its well blended in texture and then add the beans.
  5. You could finish the curry with a touch of unsweetened coconut milk or few tablespoons of coconut cream for mellow creaminess. In our home, we serve it with cucumber raita sometimes to add a creamy side dish.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!