Masala Black-Eyed Peas Recipe (2024)

I've been cooking this recipe for over a decade. My family loves it. Personally I would add more ginger and garlic. Taste the sauce before adding lemon juice - it depends on the tomatoes. A very small amount of sugar helps if the tomatoes aren't late-summer ripe. Instead of garam masala you can use a bit of allspice. Or use this as a base and then try other spices or spice mixtures; my favorite additions are some hing, black mustard seeds, and panch puran

Made in the Instant Pot using dried Rancho Gordo Black Eyed Peas, unsoaked. Used fire-roasted canned tomatoes with their juice. Added 4 cups homemade chicken broth. Omitted adding any salt until the end, when it was added to taste. 25 minutes on High with a 15 min wait before releasing the remaining pressure (15 min NPR) gave perfectly creamy Masala Black Eyed Peas. 1 TBL lemon juice was just right.

This is delicious! I’m eating it right now. I used dried black eyed peas since it was all I had. I pressure cooked them (1c beans, 4c water, 1tbls EVOO, 1tsp salt) in my instant pot for 25 minutes, 15 minute natural release, the. Full release after. Turned out perfect. I used regular tomatoes diced very small, but didn’t have quite enough liquid left to boil so I used some of the bean cooking liquid. So good! I tasted before adding lemon. Lemon took it over the top for me!

Enjoyed it — but people, double the spices!

This was really good. Would make again. I used 1 cup of dried beans instead of canned. Soaked them overnight, then simmered for about 45 min before adding them to the dish.

I really liked this for a vegan dish. Added more ginger and garlic per others' comments. I did not serve over rice as I didn't want the extra carbs. It was a really nice mix of complex flavors. I may try it with shiritaki noodles to add a bit more bulk without the extra calories.

I had in the freezer a jar of black-eyed peas that had been cooked with bacon, so "smoke" was the theme; used sambhar masala and cobanero pepper (both also on hand, needed to be used); smoked paprika would be a great choice, too. The combination was fantastic. Added the last of some Swiss chard. No cilantro on hand, so used fresh mint. I know, that's a lot of substitutions but my point is, this is my favorite kind of recipe: an excellent template for improvisation.

This was delicious. I used four Roma tomatoes instead of three and still added a bit of water as the tomatoes were cooking. I used one 540ml (19 oz) can of black eyed peas (I don't have an insta-pot like others here :( ). I couldn't find Kashmiri chili powder so googled a substitution that suggested three parts smoked paprika to one part cayenne. Worked well, I think. And I agree with other commenters: the lemon juice was *chef's kiss*

Made this with garbanzo beans & it was terrific. Add a little water with the tomatoes if you use diced rather than crushed tomatoes.

Looks tasty. I'm going to try to adapt it to use uncooked beans and an instant pot to avoid the canned beans.

We've made this three times already and love it. Good for dinner and yummy over poached eggs.

I loved this for dinner. For those who haven't tried this recipe, the final addition of cilantro, garam masala and lemon juice really bring the entire dish together. The next day with the small amount leftover, topped poached eggs for a delicious breakfast.

Threw in some spinach to make it a fuller meal - delicious!

Doubled all the spices per comments, same for garlic and ginger. Used the smoked paprika + cayenne in place of Kashmiri chili powder. Very good weeknight diner - easy, delicious, healthy, affordable ingredients. Great for leftovers. Will add in some hearty greens in future tries. Some paneer if feeling fancy. In the regular rotation!

Would make again! The serrano peppers MAKE it! I also added chopped fresh green onions as a topping.

I used frozen black eyed peas. I didn't realize they were raw until I'd dumped them into the sauce. So I added a cup of water and simmered them in the sauce for 45 minutes. Tastes great.

I live in Brazil, where the malagueta pepper (which is very hot) is the only pepper sometimes available in stores (not fresh, it comes preserved). My options for dry hot spices are cayenne pepper powder, red pepper flakes / calabresa, garam masala, and spicy paprika. People don't often eat spicy food here. What are some dry spices I should buy on my next visit to the US to bring back to Brazil to substitute for the Kashmiri peppers or other mild peppers used in this dish?

Everyone in my family loves this easy weeknight recipe.I toast the cumin seeds in the oil before adding the onions.I think the recipe could use a little more sauce. I may add a half can of tomato sauce the next time I make this.

I loved loved loved this recipe. The only changes I made were lack of chilis (just down to availability) and I followed another commenter's advice on substituting the Kashmiri chili powder with 3 smoked paprika to 1 other chili powder. I added half a cup of coconut milk at the end too. And skipped the lemon juice bc some of the other comments made me nervous about it! Anyway, one of my faaaavorite meals I've had lately.

Surprised at how easy it was to make this recipe. You don’t need to add the chiles or cilantro at the end. That was too extra. However, if you do add the chiles make sure to chop it up very small. We ended up with bigger chunks and it was very spicy. Can’t wait to make it again!

Really nice! I doubled the garlic, ginger, and spices. Also added half a can of coconut milk to it a bit more creamy.

If you have black-eyed peas (not from a can but uncooked), how can you use those for this recipe? How long do you need to soak it? Or I presume I can pressure cook it for a whistle or two not to completely cook it? Thanks in advance.

Going into the rotation, everyone loved it, made just as is but needed 3/4 water for a little more sauce. Next time, will use the liquid from the black eyed peas instead of water but other than that, the recipe was tops and only needed a few drops from a squeeze of lemon. Weeknight delight!

This was delicious. I used four Roma tomatoes instead of three and still added a bit of water as the tomatoes were cooking. I used one 540ml (19 oz) can of black eyed peas (I don't have an insta-pot like others here :( ). I couldn't find Kashmiri chili powder so googled a substitution that suggested three parts smoked paprika to one part cayenne. Worked well, I think. And I agree with other commenters: the lemon juice was *chef's kiss*

This is not a good recipe. It tastes like spicy lemon juice. Way too acidic. If you insist upon making it, do as another cook suggested and taste the sauce before adding any lemon juice.