Vellapayar/ Vanpayar/ Black Eyed Beans Curry

Now we are on the last 10 days of Ramadan. This month always seems to fly, despite us not wanting it to be like that. Good times always tend to move on quickly, doesn't it? The last 10 days are very important as it is believed that during one of these days, our holy book, the Qur'an was revealed. We call the day as Lailathul Qadr, the night of destiny. During the odd nights of the last ten days, believers are encouraged to stay up all night in prayers and invoke Allah's blessings. A little slide to brief about the night:


You can find here some information, which is beautifully and precisely mentioned regarding this blessed night, in case if it interests you to know! :)

Off to today's recipe - If there is one beans that I fall flat for, then it's black eyed beans. I can have it in any form. From early days, when my umma used to make this for lunch, I used to scoop out maximum possible from the bowl and my plate used to 30 percent rice and 70 percent beans!!! ;) Umma used to get irritated that I would not be bothered to think about anybody else who were still to have lunch. Things haven't changed a bit till date. I still love it, I still scoop out from the curry and I still eat more of it than rice! Some days for dinner during Ramadan, umma and I whip up a quick rice and curry meal, with fried fish and some stir fry and this curry is always on our list whenever possible.

Vellapayar/ Vanpayar/ Black Eyed Beans Curry
Serves 4



Ingredients:

3/4 cup black eyed beans, washed and soaked overnight
1 cup water
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1/2 cup fresh coconut, grated
5 shallots, chopped
3 green chillies
1 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
For tempering:
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
3 dry red chillies
Curry leaves

Method:

Cook the soaked beans in water, turmeric powder and salt till done. I cooked in the pressure cooker for one whistle and 15 minutes on simmer. Allow the pressure to go on itself. 

Blend the coconut, shallots, green chillies, ginger paste and fennel seeds with little water to a smooth mixture. Add this to the cooked lobia and simmer till warm. Do not boil otherwise the coconut will split. Switch off the flame. 

Slurp...

Heat the coconut oil in a little saucepan, splutter the mustard seeds and fry the dry chillies and curry leaves for a minute. Dump this into the curry and give it a good mix. Serve warm with rice!!! Yum...

Labels: , , , , ,