Black eye bean curry is a delicious vegetarian dish served with rice or with a flat bread and salad.

Use beans which have been pre-soaked overnight with 1 tablespoon of yoghurt added to the soaking water. This makes the beans easier to digest and makes the nutrients more available.The beans may be prepared by simmering in a slow cooker or in a normal cooking pan. To save time they may also be prepared in a pressure cooker.

Ingredients

500g of black eye beans which have been pre-soaked overnight and then been rinsed and drained
1 onion
1 garlic bulb
1 inch cube of fresh ginger
1 green chilli
1 cup chopped tomato
1 tablespoon of organic clarified butter
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp coriander seed
½ tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp Himalayan or Celtic sea salt
¾ tsp turmeric
¼  cup chopped coriander

Method

1. In a heavy bottom pan, lightly toast cumin, coriander, black peppercorns and mustard seeds. When the aromatic flavours from these spices has been released, grind them either using a mortar/pestle or in a coffee grinder. Store spice mixture in glass jar.
2. Peel onion, garlic and ginger.
3. Finely chop onion, garlic, ginger and chilli by hand or in a  in a food processor
4. Melt clarified butter in a suitable cooking pan and add the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and chilli mixture. Gently cook, until soft and translucent. If necessary add a little water to stop the mixture from sticking and burning.
5. Add chopped tomato, salt, turmeric and 1 tsp of the ground spice mixture to the onion mixture and stir. This is the base of the curry sauce and is known as masala.
6. Cover pan and reduce heat to gently cook the masala for 5 minutes. Add some water if masala becomes too thick and sticks to the pan.
7. Add soaked black eye beans to the masala and stir.
8. Add enough water to cover and cook the beans
9. Bring the curry sauce gently up to boiling and then lower heat and simmer 
10. Check seasonings and adjust if necessary
11. Continue gently cooking until the beans are tender. A pressure cooker helps to shorten cooking times
12. Turn off heat and add chopped coriander

If a milder curry is preferred reduce or omit black peppercorns and green chilli or add more if a spicier curry is preferred it’s up to you.