Lobia Mushroom Curry

Searching through my pantry and refrigerator one afternoon, and thinking what to fix for dinner, my eyes fell on Black eyed beans and left over mushrooms. Still searching I came across a red bell pepper that had been sitting in my refrigerator for almost a week when I was struck by a new idea-hey why not incorporate everything and create a new dish? This resulted in Lobia Mushroom curry.

Lobia is an Indian curry made with black eyed beans.Made with freshly roasted and ground aromatic spices along with other ready made spices this dish has a wonderful flavour. I even gave a Kerala touch to the dish by adding ground grated coconut. The aroma infused by freshly ground spices along with the creamy texture imparted by ground coconut, this dish goes well with Chapati/Roti/Naan.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw black eyed beans

Mushrooms - 10 oz(283 g) sliced

Red bell pepper- 1 chopped

Red onion - 1 chopped

Tomatoes - 2 chopped

Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Chilly powder- 3/4 tsp(adjust according to your taste buds)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 3/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Fresh grated coconut - 1/3 cup

Oil for cooking

Fresh cilantro for garnish

Dry roast the following together:

Cinnamon - 2, 2.5" long sticks

Cloves - 6

Cardamom- few seeds

Star anise -1

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

• Soak black eyed beans in water for at least 3 hours.
  
• Pressure cook the beans with salt along with the water used for soaking. Keep aside.
  
• Grind grated coconut to a smooth paste adding water. Keep aside.
  
• In a pan at medium heat dry roast the ingredients mentioned above until colour changes slightly and you get the fresh aroma of roasted spices.
  
• Remove from heat, cool and grind to a powder. Keep aside.
  
• Heat oil in the same pan and saute chopped onions until it turns brown.
  
• Add the ground spices and saute for few seconds more.
  
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell goes.
  
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook till it turns mushy.
  
• Add sliced mushrooms and bell pepper and cook till mushrooms are cooked and all the water oozed out from mushrooms has been absorbed.
  
• Add chilly powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala and saute till raw smell goes.
  
• Add ground coconut along with water used for pressure cooking beans. Bring to a boil.
  
• You may add additional water at this stage if you wish.
  
• Add cooked beans, reduce heat and cook till the gravy turns thick.
  
• Add chopped cilantro, remove from heat.
  
• Serve hot!
  

This goes to My Legume Affair 11th Helping hosted by Lori and started by Susan.

Pooja.

Other Vegetarian Curries: