Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Indian Spices

With sweltering weather hitting much of the Western hemisphere, more salads are served up on kitchen and patio tables. Spice it up is my motto, and so I was inspired to make an earthy Indian-style black-eyed pea salad with a hot, tart and tangy seasoning that required very little prep and cooking time. While the peas are boiling, chop up the ingredients needed and measure out the spices. It all comes together in no time at all once the black-eyes have cooled a bit.

I served the salad up in some radicchio leaves along with some lightly toasted crusty bread topped with some goat cheese and fresh dill and then quickly broiled for a few minutes. An Indian flatbread would be a nice addition to the meal, or a simple rice dish such as cracked black pepper rice.

This is my contribution to No Croutons Required, hosted this month by me. The theme is legume salads. I am also sharing with Jac's Bookmarked Recipes.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Indian Spices

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from 1,000 Indian Recipes Cuisine: Indian Published on July 17, 2013 Simple summer salad of earthy and nutty flavored black-eyed peas tossed with a hot, tart and tangy blend of Indian spices Print this recipe Black-eyed peas: 1 cup dried black-eyed peas 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon sea salt Salad: 1 large tomato, partially seeded and diced 4 green onions, trimmed and chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated or minced 1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped 1 green or red chili, seeded and finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon chat masala juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons) Seasoning: 1 tablespoon oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon rock salt (optional) To serve: radicchio leaves or mixed greens Instructions: Rinse the black-eyed peas and soak in enough water to cover for 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a medium saucepan. Pour in 1 3/4 cups of water and add the turmeric and sea salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender but not falling apart — about 45 minutes. Add more water as necessary. The water should evaporate, but if not, drain and let the peas cool. Transfer the cooked peas to a large bowl and add the tomato, green onions, ginger, mint, chili, chat masala and the lime juice. Stir well to combine. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds and stir for 1 minute. Add the chili powder, ground cumin, paprika and rock salt if using, and stir for another 30 seconds. Stir the spices into the salad. Taste for seasoning and serve at room temperature or chilled in radicchio leaves or over mixed greens, sprinkled with a little chat masala if desired, along with some rice or some crusty bread. Makes 4 servings

More black-eyed pea dishes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Black-Eyed Pea Patties with Chili Sauce
Indian Black-Eyed Peas
Black-Eyed Peas with Potatoes and Tamarind
Curried Black-Eyed Peas

On the top of the reading stack: Affliction by Russell Banks

Audio Accompaniment: the ceiling fan

Cinnamon Spiked Black-Eyed Peas Curry

This an easy dish to make, making use of staples that most of us who cook Indian dishes on a regular basis will likely have on hand, and thus especially suited for busy weeknights or just days when you really don't feel much like cooking and failed to really plan ahead. Let me assure you though, it is delicious and the layering of spices with aromatic cinnamon really complements the natural earthy and nutty flavor of the black-eyed peas. Easy does not mean you have to sacrifice taste or nutrition. It can be served as the main dish for a rather simple meal with rice and flatbreads, or as part of a grander spread, because it is that good and will shine on the table and have your diners ready to eat once the lovely scents start coming from your kitchen.

Note: It is not absolutely essential that you soak the peas overnight as they do cook fairly quickly, but I would recommend soaking them for at least 4 to 6 hours to help break them down and speed up the cooking time.

Cinnamon Spiked Black-Eyed Peas Curry

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on February 16, 2013 Simple, spicy, delicious and aromatic cinnamon black-eyed pea curry Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried black-eyed peas 1 small onion or 2 small shallots, finely chopped 2 small cloves garlic, crushed 2 to 3 fresh green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 1 small tomato, partially seeded and finely chopped 1/2 cup water 1 to 2 teaspoons chili powder or Kashmiri chili powder) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon amchoor (optional) 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste 2 tablespoons ghee or oil 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 2 to 3 black cardamon pods, slightly crushed a few handfuls of dried and crumbled curry leaves (or 1 to 2 bay leaves) handful of fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped Instructions: Rinse the black-eyed peas and soak in enough water to cover for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large saucepan and add 3 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the peas begin to soften. While the peas are cooking, whisk together the onion or shallots, garlic, chilies, ginger, tomato and water. Stir in the chili powder, turmeric, cayenne, amchoor powder if using, and salt. Heat the ghee or oil in a medium skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds, cardamon pods and curry or bay leaves. Stir for a minute and then add the tomato and onion-spice mixture and simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the tomato mixture to the pan of simmering beans and continue to cook, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the beans are tender and and the curry has thickened. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cardamon pods. Serve in small bowls or spoon over hot fresh cooked white basmati rice and garnish with the chopped cilantro or parsley. Makes 4 servings

More delicious and easy recipe ideas for black-eyed peas:
Curried Black-Eyed Peas
Black-Eyed Pea and Mung Bean Sambar
Black-Eyed Peas with Fenugreek and Tomatoes
Black-Eyed Peas with Potatoes and Tamarind

I'm sharing this with Ricki's Wellness Weekend

Black-Eyed Pea and Mung Bean Sambar

This recipe is my own creation, though I must give a nod to Vegan Richa for the idea of combining mung beans and black-eyed beans in what turned out to be a very earthy curry. It is not unusual for me to experiment with different combinations of legumes, and I am well acquainted with spicing up mixed dal dishes.

Your palate is in for a treat here with a lingering spiciness that intensifies on the back of the tongue with each spoonful. No hard hitting burst of heat with this meal, and there is a wee bit of tangy sweetness present mainly because of the inclusion of tamarind. This is a cleansing and refreshing sambar that makes for an easy yet completely satisfying meal when served with a tempering rice dish and/or Indian flatbread. Don't let the list of ingredients discourage you from giving this dish a try — I assure you that it really is a very straightforward and simple recipe that you may find especially appealing during busy times when you don't have a lot of time to cook but don't wish to sacrifice nutrition or flavor. Adjust the spicing according to your preferences and pantry offerings.

Black-Eyed Pea and Mung Bean Sambar

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on February 3, 2013 Simple, warm and nourishing spicy black-eyed pea and mung bean curry Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried mung beans (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can) 1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can)   1 tablespoon ghee or oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1 black cardamon pod, crushed   1 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 2 to 3 fresh chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 small carrot, diced Spices: 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 1/2 teaspoons sambar powder or garam masala 1 1/2 teaspoons kashmiri chili powder or other chili powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon amchoor powder (optional) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pinch of asafetida (optional) Other ingredients: 2 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped 1 tablespoon tamarind paste, seeds removed (optional) a few handfuls of dried curry leaves   2 1/2 cups water   sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste Instructions: Rinse the beans and black-eyed peas and soak for 8 hours or overnight covered in several inches of water. After soaking, drain and set aside. Heat the ghee or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cardamon pod, and stir for 30 seconds or until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, chilies and carrot to the pan. Stir for 5 to 8 minutes or until the onion is softened. Now add the spices, stir for 1 minutes, then add the tomatoes, tamarind if using, and curry leaves. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes to let the tomatoes reduce, then add the drained beans to the pan and pour in 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the mixture has thickened and the beans are very tender, adding up to 1/2 cup more water as needed. (If using canned beans, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with with fresh cooked rice and / or your favorite Indian flatbread and a leafy green salad. Makes 4 to 6 servings

More black-eyed pea goodness from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Black-Eyed Peas with Fenugreek and Tomatoes
Turkish Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Pomegranate, Walnuts and Zahtar Dressing
Black-Eyed Peas with Roasted Squash
Black-Eyed Peas with Potatoes and Tamarind

On the top of the reading stack: Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith, and What to Eat for Dinner - A Satisfying Diet for Unsatisfying Times by Ellen Kanner