Lobia Recipe (Black Eyed Peas Curry) - Instant Pot
This Punjabi lobia recipe makes a healthy, wholesome, and comforting meal when served with rice or roti/paratha. This black eyed peas curry is a one-pot dish when made in instant pot.
Rinse or wash black eyed peas using regular tap water 2-3 times or until the water is clear (not cloudy anymore).
Add enough water (3 inches of water above the beans) and soak for at least 2-4 hours or overnight. After the soaking time, discard the soaking water.
Turn on the instant pot with saute mode. Add oil. Once the oil is hot, add whole spices (cinnamon, bay leaf, and black cardamom) and saute for 30-40 seconds or you’ll get a nice aroma of the spices.
Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
Add onion and sprinkle a little salt to speed up the onion cooking process. Cook onion until soft and light brown in color.
Add crushed ginger, garlic, and green chili. Mix and cook for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
Add pureed tomato and mix. Cook until all the moisture is gone and it becomes like a thick paste.
This time turn off the instant pot so the spices don’t burn (It stays hot enough to cook spices). Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and remaining salt. Mix and cook for 40-60 seconds and you notice oil starts to ooze out from the sides.
Add soaked, drained lobia and fresh water. Stir well to combine.
Cover the instant pot with a lid, and keep the valve in a sealing position. Pressure cook on Manual (high pressure) for 15 minutes. Stovetop pressure cooker: 1 whistle on high, lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes.
Let the pressure go down by itself (NPR - natural pressure release). Once the pin drops open the lid.
Always add garam masala and kasoori methi after pressure cooking to retain their flavor and aroma.
For un-soaked beans, cook them for 20-22 minutes.
Gravy consistency:
Keep in mind that gravy thickens as it sits or cools down.
If making ahead of time and serving it after 20 minutes to 1 hour or so then the given water amount is perfect.
If serving right away then you may find it more watery. If so add less water to begin with or turn on the saute mode and simmer until the gravy thickens.
If I am serving it with roti or paratha then I need thick gravy. If serving it with rice then I need slightly thin gravy. It’s a personal preference. So you can adjust the water amount accordingly.