Instant Pot Chettinad Black Eyed Peas vegan curry is a delicious South Indian recipe. This meatless masala curry is perfect for weeknights!
It tastes best with roti/rice and can also be made on the stovetop.
Lick it off the bowl!
My love for Chettinad cuisine
This cuisine emerges from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu in the South of India. It offers a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.
Chettinad cuisine uses a variety of spices and the dishes are made with fresh ground masalas. Most of their curries also have coconut and coriander seeds.
This is actually the fifth recipe from the Chettinad cuisine on my blog. Previously, I have shared Chettinad style Corn Dhokla, Chickpea Curry, Kuzhi Paniyaram, and Egg Roast Curry.
Yes, I also have an egg recipe on this blog. I had shared it many years ago. But it's so popular that I have kept it.
Trending now
If you ever visit an Indian restaurant, do try the dishes that hail from Chettinad. Their flavors are distinct and aromatic.
Otherwise, you can always try recipes like these to understand why this cuisine is so popular among Indians.
My aunt shared this recipe with me and I modified it a bit and made it in the Instant Pot for convenience. Hope you too enjoy this Indian Instant Pot recipe!
So delicious to taste & easy to make!
How healthy are Black Eyed Peas?
They are high in fiber and protein besides being nutrient-dense. They are used in various cuisines from around the world.
Also, they are very easy to cook with. Plus they are a rich source of complex carbs, which take longer to digest than simple carbs, provide energy, and help with weight loss.
A point to note here, these beans do not have any flavor by themselves and take in the flavors of the dish.
It's also called Lobia in Hindi and Karamani in Tamil. That is why this dish is also called Karamani Kozhumbu or Lobia Masala.
Some favorite recipes with it
- Black Eyed Peas Vegan Chili
- Black Eyed Peas in Carrot Gravy
- Black Eyed Peas & Sun-Dried Tomatoes Skillet Fry
Why make this
I love the way black-eyed peas taste in this recipe. This Indian Instant Pot recipe has a mix of various flavors - spicy, tangy, sour, and mildly sweet.
- Can be made in the Instant Pot and stovetop
- Is vegan and gluten-free
- A new and different recipe with black-eyed peas
- Quick and easy to make
- Perfect for weekday meals
Ingredients needed
made with pantry basics!
This Chettinad Black Eyed Peas vegan curry is an extremely flavorful dish, thanks to the ingredients.
Black Eyed Peas - I get the dried ones and soak them overnight whenever I plan to cook with them. You can also get canned peas.
Whole spices - Fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds give this recipe an aromatic flavor and also aid digestion.
Spice Mixes - Turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, and paprika.
Shredded or grated coconut, tamarind paste, and tomato paste give this recipe a South Indian flavor.
Onion, ginger, and garlic help in making this Kara Kuzhambu more flavorful.
Here's how to make it
It's a dump-and-go recipe!
Instant Pot
Soak black-eyed peas in water, overnight or for 8 hours. Then drain out the water and set it aside.
- Make a smooth paste by grinding half an onion, coconut, and fennel seeds along with water.
- Turn on the Instant pot in saute mode. Add oil and temper mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
- Then add ginger paste, garlic paste, and the other half onion. Saute till the onion turns translucent.
- Then add the tomato paste and tamarind paste. Mix and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the ground paste, mix and continue to saute for a minute.
- Now it's time to add the spices - turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, and paprika. Fry for another 30 seconds.
- Lastly, add the black-eyed peas along with water and salt. Turn off the Instant pot and close the lid.
- Cook in manual mode for 15 minutes and release pressure naturally.
- Once done, open the lid and garnish it with chopped cilantro.
Stovetop
You will need to cook the black-eyed peas in advance with some salt and turmeric.
Then make this masala Lobia curry recipe in a pan by following the steps above.
Tastes best with steamed rice!
Serving suggestions
I would definitely serve this masala curry with rice. But if you are looking for low-carb options, serve it with quinoa or cauliflower rice.
Alternatively, you can also serve it as a side for naan/roti/chapati/paratha or any kind of bread.
This Instant pot Black Eyed Peas vegan curry can be served for lunch, dinner, brunch, and even packed in a lunchbox.
Top tips, recommendations, and suggestions
To save time, soak the peas overnight and freeze them. This way, you will be able to make this dish in a jiffy.
To make this Karamani Kurma even more quickly, soak and cook the peas well in advance. Freeze and then use it as needed.
If you don't have black-eyed peas or don't like them, you can easily swap them for other beans like chickpeas, kidney beans, pinto beans, etc.
In case you are using canned beans, reduce the cooking time in the Instant Pot to 3 minutes. Or simply make it on the stovetop.
Instead of tamarind paste, you can also use regular tamarind. Soak a lemon-sized ball in ½ cup of hot water for 15 minutes.
Then squeeze out the juice from it and use the water. The pulp can be discarded.
If you don't have tamarind at all, add some lemon juice at the end as a garnish.
The leftover masala curry can be stored in the fridge for a week. It also freezes well.
A meatless meal for days!
If you’ve tried this Instant Pot Chettinad Black Eyed Peas Curry | Karamani Kuzhambu Recipe or any other recipe on the blog please let me know how it went by commenting below, I love hearing from you!
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes and what I’m getting up to.
Recipe 📖
Instant Pot Chettinad Black Eyed Peas Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
For grinding
- ¼ cup grated coconut
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds saunf
- ½ onion
For curry
- 1 cup Black Eyed Peas
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- ½ onion
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon Tamarind paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ tablespoon cumin powder
- 1-2 tablespoon paprika
- 2 cups water or vegetable stock
- Salt
- 2-3 tablespoon cilantro
Instructions
- Soak black-eyed peas in water, overnight or for 8 hours. Then drain out the water and set it aside.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Make a smooth paste by grinding half an onion, coconut, and fennel seeds along with water.
- Turn on the Instant pot in saute mode. Add oil and temper mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
- Then add ginger paste, garlic paste, and the other half onion. Saute till the onion turns translucent.
- Then add the tomato paste and tamarind paste. Mix and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the ground paste, mix and continue to saute for a minute.
- Now it's time to add the spices - turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, and paprika. Fry for another 30 seconds.
- Lastly, add the black-eyed peas along with water and salt. Turn off the Instant pot and close the lid.
- Cook in manual mode for 15 minutes and release pressure naturally.
- Once done, open the lid and garnish with chopped cilantro.
Stovetop Instructions
- You will need to cook the black-eyed peas in advance with some salt and turmeric.
- Then make this masala Lobia curry recipe in a pan by following the steps above.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. For more information on my Affiliate and Advertising Policy, please click here.
How much water do you add to this? You say add water and salt with the beans, but water is not on the ingredient list. I have an 8 quart IP, so is 2.25 cups (500 mL) water going to water this recipe down so much that it is tasteless?
Thanks for pointing that out. I have updated the recipe post with the proportions for water. Please let me know how it turns out. 🙂