Palakwali Lobiya | Black Eyed Peas with Spinach

Lobiya or Black Eyed Peas are one of the beans that I grew up eating. In my parents household Rajma was king and a close second was the humble lobiya, also known as rongi in my native Punjabi. The curry for a typical lobiya is much lighter than rajma even though the basic ingredients are almost the same. This recipe for Palakwali Lobiya or black eyed peas with spinach takes a leaf out of that method in addition to a newer inspiration.

Old Staple Lobiya Gets a Reboot!

Fast forward to the time when I started cooking for my new household comprising myself and the husband, getting him to eat lobiya proved challenging. One thing I did was to use it in my Black Eyed Peas Minestrone and here I present the second experiment, an Ethiopian cuisine inspired Palakwali Lobiya i.e. Black Eyed Peas with Spinach.

Each time that I have eaten an Ethiopian meal, there has been a side of sautéed greens with lots of flavour and a separate side of lentils. Both of which were devoured by the husband. That’s what inspired me to try my hand at something that can bring these two together. And in addition to this recipe I eventually also began cooking dal with palak. Adding spinach to lentils and beans is an easy and delicious way to introduce greens into your diet. I highly recommend it! Of course, if you want to go full monty, then give this spinach soup, Palak ka Shorba a try or put all those wilting and unused salad greens to work in an arugula and spinach soup.

So let’s make Palakwali Lobiya!

Preparation time: 40 minutes of active cooking with 4-5 hours of soaking.
Serves: 2-3 persons.

For Palakwali Lobiya you will need:

For Lobiya:

• Lobiya, 1 cup – soaked for 4-5 hours
• Water – 2 cups
• Salt, 1 tsp, adjust to taste

For the Spinach Saute:

• Spinach 1 1/2 cup – finely chopped
• Garlic 2 cloves – smashed and finely chopped
• Ginger 1/2 inch piece- finely chopped,
• Olive oil 1 tbsp (or any that you cook with),
• Cumin powder 1 tsp,
• Coriander powder 1 tsp,
• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp,
• Black pepper 2-3 cracks,
• Salt as per taste.

Method: 

The first thing to do is to cook the beans. Typically, in India we use dry beans and proceed to steam them in a pressure cooker until done. This is the method of choice for most cooks in India, and I recommend using a pressure cooker or an instant pot if you have one. Boiling in a large pot of water or dutch oven is feasible but a slow and time consuming process.

Soaking helps soften the beans. They absorb moisture and cook faster. If you have time to plan ahead, soak the beans overnight or even for 2-3 hours.

If you do not have that much time, wash in running water and transfer to a pressure cooker with twice the amount of water. Add salt and steam for about 20 minutes. If your cooker has a whistle then cook on high until the first whistle, then reduce heat and let it steam gently for another 10-15 minutes. Once done, let it rest before opening the lid. Drain the beans and reserve liquid for using later – it could become a part of a soup or used for kneading flour.

Next, it’s time to cook spinach. Finely chop garlic and ginger. Wash spinach and chop it up roughly. Then heat a heavy bottomed pan. Add oil and ginger and garlic. Sauté them until they are fragrant and just turning brown. Add spinach along with dry spices. Mix well and cook until the leaves change colour and soften. Add salt at the end along with pepper.

Finally, transfer the beans that have been resting. Mix well, lower the heat and cover for a few minutes. That’s it! Palakwali Lobiya – Black Eyed Peas with Spinach is ready 🙂

We had it with chicken tagine and couscous. More of these recipes coming soon.

Some recipes to explore on the blog!

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