Black eye peas & Chayote squash curry (Karamani chow chow kuzhambhu)
Black eye peas is one of my favorite beans variety and i will eat any dish that contains it. This curry recipe is from my mother and I make it at least once in two weeks. It goes well with rice, idly, dosa and roti as well.
You can also use zucchini or eggplant in place of chayote squash in this recipe. I have used Instant Pot for this recipe, you can also use a normal pressure cooker. This curry is my comfort food, especially on a cold snowy day as shown in the below picture.
Servings : 4
Ingredients:
- Oil – 2 tablespoons
- Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon
- Urad dhal – 1 teaspoon
- Garlic pods – 4 (big, crushed)
- Curry leaves – few sprigs
- Onion – 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
- Tomato – 1/2 cup (roughly chopped)
- Black eye peas – 1 cup (cooked)
- Chayote squash – 3/4 cup (roughly chopped)
- Diluted tamarind water – 3/4 cup
- Fresh or frozen coconut – 2 heaping tablespoons (shredded)
- Cashews – 6 to 7
- Poppy seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- Chilli powder + coriander – 1 heaping tablespoon (I have both the chilli and coriander powder mixed together in the ratio 1 : 1.5)
- Salt – as required
- Coriander leaves – few sprigs (for garnish)
Method:
- First step is to soak the black eye peas (3/4 cup) overnight or for at least 8 hours. Then transfer the soaked black eye peas to the instant pot with 2 cups water. Pressure cook for 15 minutes. Wait for the instant pot to release the pressure. Then discard the water and keep the black eye peas ready for the next steps.
Next, heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter(You can use the instant pot right from this step). Now add, urad dhal, curry leaves, crushed garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the chopped onions and saute until golden brown.
2. Now add the tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the cooked black eye peas and the chayote squash.
3. Then take a lime sized tamarind ball and soak in 3/4 cup warm water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the tamarind juice gently and add it to the pan. The tamarind juice can be of diluted form instead of a thick extract. Now add the turmeric powder, chilli powder + coriander powder, salt and mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Now take a mixie jar, add shredded coconut, cashews, poppy seeds along with little water and grind it into a paste.
5. Finally add the above coconut mixture and the black eye peas gravy from the 3rd step to the instant pot and pressure cook for 5 minutes.
6. Wait for the instant pot to naturally release pressure and then garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Rice, idly, dosa etc..
