Blackeye Peas...with Garam Masala

I was very happy to find blackeye peas because I had seen them featured in many cookbooks and on the internet, but had never tasted them before. They were a great find and discovery. When cooked, they have mildly smoky flavour. And also, I must admit, they look super cute, it's as if they were winking at you :) 

So I gave them an Indian treatment and cooked them in a garam masala stew which was absolutely delicious.

Here we go.

Aromatic Blackeye Peas with Garam Masala

The most important ingredient of this curry is the garam masala, which I prepared myself. Basically, I chose and sorted the spices, I toasted them all together and I ground them. Even though I buy ready-made garam masala powder, home-made garam masala is nicer and more aromatic.

Generally, the basic ingredients of garam masala are:

cinnamon sticks

curry leaves

coriander seeds

cumin seeds

cloves

funugreek seeds 

mustard seeds

onion seeds

(dried red chillies)* 

*which I use sparingly because I like only mild Indian dishes

Preparation & Method

The night before soak a cup of blackeye peas in water. Boil them  for 20 minutes or so till they become tender and  finally drain them. Start preparing your garam masala spices. Toast them and grind them in the coffee grinder. 

Chop 3-4 cloves of garlic, a small piece of fresh ginger, and a red onion. 

Fry the garlic, ginger and the red onion in olive oil (approx 2 tbs) & add the garam masala powder. Pour half a cup of water over the spices and add the blackeye peas. 

Stir and cover and let them simmer for 10 minutes until the water is soaked up by the peas.  Finally season with a pinch of salt. 

blackeye peas with jeera chicken and rice

I love the taste of Indian spices and they go so well with this these wonderful peas.  Truly delicious/addictive.

PS. I don't like Black Eye Peas (the band). Too much ado about nothing. :(

Spiced Minced Chicken with Garam Masala & Pistachios

Whenever I buy minced meat all I think of is speed. All minced-meat dishes are quick to prepare, easy to make, and great for the waistline, as very little oil is used for frying.

Type of cuisine: Indian


Cooking time: 30 minutes


Difficulty: easy

For this delicious Indian dish, you'll need the following spices:

garam masala mix

cinnamon

freshly grated ginger

freshly crushed garlic

coriander

cumin

sweet chilli

mustard seeds

onion seeds

turmeric

(hot chilli)

Preparation

Peel two onions and dice them finely. Dice two small tomatoes. Have all the spices at hand.

Method

Fry the cumin, coriander, mustard and onion seeds till they pop. Add the onions, garlic and ginger, fry for a minute or two until they turn a golden hue.

Fry 500 gr of minced chicken till the meat separates in small globes, then work in the spices: cinnamon, garam masala, turmeric, sweet chilli, extra coriander and cumin seeds. Stir constantly to prevent  from sticking.

Add the diced tomatoes and allow to soften.

Finally, chop some parsley and add to the meat. Season with salt and lime juice and decorate with pistachios, pomegranates, pumpkin seeds, almonds, etc.

The meat by itself will be dry, so I would suggest you have some dips and salads as side dishes: raita, pappadums, paratha, chutney, or a mixed salad of carrot, orange & nut with a sprinkling of pomegranate juice. Bombay potatoes go very well with this dish, as does any vegetarian curry.

Generally I prefer mildly hot dishes, so I use hot chilly sparingly.