I love tamarind based curries with rice. It makes for a tangy, yummy, spicy and delicious lunch. Black eyed peas is known as thattaipayaru or karamani in tamil. Karamani comes in different varieties. I have used the white karamani today. I like the white ones as I find them creamy when cooked. Hot piping rice, little ghee and this tamarind curry followed by a small nap. That’s my kind of day.
The peas needs to be soaked in water before cooking. I usually soak it for a couple of hours. You can soak it over nite too.
Here is how to do Karamani Puli Kuzhambu – Black Eyed Pea in Tamarind curry.
Soak the karamani for a couple of hours in water. Then boil the karamani with lots of water ( around 2 cups ) in a pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes or 8-10 whistles. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the finely chopped onions and the garlic and fry till the onions are soft.
In the mean time run the tomatoes in a blender / mixie to a smooth paste.
Add it to the pan along with asafoetida, turmeric powder, sambar powder and coriander powder. Add in the salt too.
Fry till oil floats to the top.
Soak some tamarind in water for 20 minutes. Run it between the fingers and squeeze to make a pulp. Strain the juice and add the juice to the pan. Add in the boiled karamani along with the water used for cooking karamani.
Let it boil for 30 minutes on low flame. Remove off heat and serve with rice.
- ½ cup (125 grams ) Black eyed pea - karamani
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 5-6 fenugreek seeds
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 2 medium onions
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 4 ripe tomatoes
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon sambar powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- a small lime size tamarind
- Soak the karamani for a couple of hours in water. Then boil the karamani with lots of water in a pressure cooker for 10-15 minutes or 8-10 whistles and set aside.
- Heat oil in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Let it splutter. Add in the finely chopped onions and the garlic and fry till the onions are soft.
- In the mean time run the tomatoes in a blender / mixie to a smooth paste.
- Add it to the pan along with asafoetida, turmeric powder, sambar powder and coriander powder. Add in the salt too.
- Fry till oil floats to the top.
- Soak some tamarind in water for 20 minutes. Run it between the fingers and squeeze to make a pulp. Strain the juice and add it to the pan. Add in the boiled karamani along with the water used for cooking karamani.
- Let it boil for 30 minutes on low flame. Remove off heat and serve with rice.