suvir saran chef author consultant
New Year’s Black-Eye Pea Curry
Serves 6
1/4 cup/60 ml neutral-flavored oil (like canola or grape seed)
8 whole green cardamom pods
6 whole cloves
3 whole dried red chiles
2 bay leaves
1-inch/2.5 cm cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1 1/2-inch/3.75 cm piece fresh ginger-root, peeled and grated
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt plus extra if needed1/2 teaspoon garam masala
3 medium tomatoes, quartered
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup/60 ml plain yogurt
3 15 1/2-ounce/440 g cans black-eye peas, rinsed and drained
Heat the oil with the cardamom, cloves, chiles, bay leaves, cinnamon, black pepper, and cumin seeds in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until the spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger and cook until it becomes fragrant and sticky, about 1 minute. Add the onions and salt and cook, stirring often, until the onions turn deeply browned and sticky, 15 to 20 minutes. If the onions begin to stick to the bottom of the pot or begin to burn, reduce the heat to medium and splash the pan with a few tablespoons of water, scraping up the browned bits and stirring them into the onions.
While the onions brown, place the tomatoes in a blender or food processor and purée until they are completely smooth. Set aside.
Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute, and then add the coriander, ground cumin, and turmeric, cooking until they begin to smelly toasty, about 30 seconds. Stir in the cayenne pepper and 2 tablespoons/30 ml of the yogurt. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute, and then add the remaining 2 tablespoons/30 ml of yogurt. Continue to stir and cook the yogurt and spices until the contents of the pot are thick and sticky and the liquid from the yogurt has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until a film of oil pools on the surface of the sauce, 6 to 8 minutes.
Stir the black-eye peas, garam masala, and 1 cup of water into the tomato mixture. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until a bubble or two breaks at the surface, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. Serve hot.
Throughout the southern states of America, black-eyed peas are served for good luck on New Year’s Day. Knowing that my family’s recipe for rongee, Hindi for black-eye peas, is so tasty, it is a dish that I look forward to making and serving for New Year’s. It is excellent with stir-fried cabbage, also considered a good-luck food for it supposedly represents folded currency, and rice, of course (in the south, this dish would be called Hoppin’ John). I love it with biscuits or cornbread, both excellent at soaking up the flavorful broth. I often make it for our grand New Year’s Eve celebration, happily knowing that the dish will probably be out-shined by its fancier table competition like crown roast of pork, chateaubriand, or a biriyani rice dish. Leftovers make New Year’s Day that much tastier!
