Black eyed beans with Spinach

Bored of the same curry day after day? Would like to try something new but nutritious? If you answered 'Yes' to both the above questions, then this is a dish you should definitely try. Bring in the black eyed pulse and team it with the super nutritious spinach. I love the light spice of freshly ground black pepper and the crunch of the roasted & salted peanuts with this fresh vegetable. Try this simple nutrition packed recipe today!

Black eyed beans with Spinach
Recipe adapted from book 'I Love Curry' by Anjum Anand

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds

3 dry Red Chillies

3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped

few Curry leaves

250 g Spinach, washed well & shredded (I used baby spinach whole leaves)

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste (I used freshly ground & lots!)

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Ground Cumin

400 g can Black Eyed Beans, drained well and rinsed (I used black eyed beans pressure cooked at home)

Tamarind paste, to taste

few Peanuts (Roasted & Salted)

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and dried red chillies.
• Once the seeds have spluttered, add the chopped garlic and curry leaves. Cook them gently until the garlic starts to turn golden in color.
• Add the spinach, salt and ground pepper along with a splash of water. Mix well, cover and cook for five minutes stirring occasionally. Spinach would have well wilted by now.
• Add the ground cumin, coriander powder, half the black eyed beans and a splash of water. Cover and cook for another five minutes.
• Take  out one third of the mix and blend to a fine puree. Return to the pan with the remaining beans. (This step of adding the blended mixture gives this dish a lovely creamy texture).
• Stir in the tamarind paste and peanuts. Boil off any excess water until it reaches the consistency you prefer. 

Notes: I had used the water retained from cooking the black eyed beans instead of plain water while cooking this dish. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if required. Serve this with rice/chappathis with little yogurt.

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