A quick Indian inspired Black Eyed Peas Curry with Greens to eat on New Years Day!
This Indian inspired black eyed peas curry recipe is family friendly, Instant Pot cooked, and packed with subtle healing spices like turmeric, mustard seeds, and garlic. It is enjoyed by my family on New Years Day to bring good health and wealth for the year ahead.
Black Eyed Peas and Greens
How this recipe came about
I am so thankful to have been brought up my parents who value other cultures and traditions. We celebrated almost every holiday under the sun in our very own way, and this particular one did not slip away any given year. Growing up, I do not remember a New Year Day when we didn’t eat Black-Eyed Peas and Greens. It was a tradition my Dad had learned about before I was even born from a fellow employee. Since, then the tradition has lived on in our household with Indian inspired spices of course. With that said…
This southern gal can’t forget black-eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day and neither should you!
Why eat black eyed peas on new years day?
The tradition says black eyed peas and greens are a mix of wealth and health for the given year. Exactly 365 beans are eaten with some greens (usually in a form of collard or turnip greens). The beans are there to symbolize great health for 365 days and the greens are there to symbolize wealth or as we like to see it “money”.
What type of greens can I use in this New Years Black Eyed Peas Curry?
I love to make it with spinach because it goes well with Indian Food. However, you can also use collard or turnip greens which are tougher to cook and will need to be added with the black eyed peas to tenderize the leaves.
Where to buy Black Eyed Peas?
Cook the Black Eyed Peas in an Instant Pot
How long does it take to cook black eyed peas?
Depending on soak time, the cooking time can vary. It has been said that soaking beans can help absorption and prevent digestive issues. However, if you are crunching on time, then use the “bean” mode on an Instant Pot. It cooks the Black Eyed Peas perfectly.
Black Eyed Peas for Diabetes
Black Eyed Peas have a low glycemic index which means they are a great legume to eat. However everything in moderation considering the sides eaten with this dish include either rice, tortillas, or in the Indian culture roti.
Black Eyed Peas and Rice
I love to eat this black eyed peas curry with plain white rice if I am not eating it straight out of a bowl as is. It’s very comforting and makes a complete meal with greens, protein, and a carb. The flavors of the curry mix well with plain rice and textures seem to hit every need when adding a side of papad to to make it a complete meal.
Add fresh chopped spinach at the end.
New Year’s Black Eyed Peas and Greens Recipe
📖 Recipe
Black Eyed Pea and Greens
Ingredients1x2x3x
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- ▢ 1 cup dried black eyed peas
- ▢ 3 cups water
- ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic, grated (about 3 cloves)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric (fresh or powder)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
- ▢ ½ teaspoon asafaetido (hing)
- ▢ ½ medium tomato, chopped
- ▢ ¼ medium onion, chopped
- ▢ 1 jalapeno, blended
- ▢ cilantro stems
- ▢ cilantro leaves, garnishment
- ▢ salt
- ▢ oil
- ▢ baby spinach, chopped (optional)
ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
- ▢ 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
- ▢ 2 cups kale, chopped
- ▢ 2 cups collard greens, chopped
- ▢ 2 cups turnip greens, chopped
Instructions
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS
- Turn Instant Pot on sauté mode and add some oil. Once it is heated, add mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. Immediately add asafaetido.
- Add the black eyed peas and water. Then add the remaining ingredients which include onion, tomato, turmeric, jalapeno, garlic, salt, and cilantro stems (if using kale, collard greens, or turnip greens then add at this point too).
- Close the Instant Pot with the lid and set to bean mode (30 minutes high pressure). Put vent on sealing to prevent steam from releasing.
- Once the IP timer turns off let it naturally release pressure and cool down on its own.
- Open the lid but do not mix yet. Add cilantro leaves and baby spinach at this point (optional)
- Mix and serve.
Notes
- If you want to kick it up a notch then saute some chopped tomatoes + red chilli powder for a few minutes in a little bit of oil. Top it once the black eyed peas have been cooked.
- Enjoy as is, with roti, or plain white rice.
WISH YOU ALL NOTHING BUT THE BEST IN THE UPCOMING YEAR!
Black Eyed Pea and Greens
Ingredients
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup dried black eyed peas
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon garlic, grated (about 3 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric (fresh or powder)
- 1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon asafaetido (hing)
- ½ medium tomato, chopped
- ¼ medium onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, blended
- cilantro stems
- cilantro leaves, garnishment
- salt
- oil
- baby spinach, chopped (optional)
ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 2 cups kale, chopped
- 2 cups collard greens, chopped
- 2 cups turnip greens, chopped
Instructions
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS
- Turn Instant Pot on sauté mode and add some oil. Once it is heated, add mustard seeds and wait for them to pop. Immediately add asafaetido.
- Add the black eyed peas and water. Then add the remaining ingredients which include onion, tomato, turmeric, jalapeno, garlic, salt, and cilantro stems (if using kale, collard greens, or turnip greens then add at this point too).
- Close the Instant Pot with the lid and set to bean mode (30 minutes high pressure). Put vent on sealing to prevent steam from releasing.
- Once the IP timer turns off let it naturally release pressure and cool down on its own.
- Open the lid but do not mix yet. Add cilantro leaves and baby spinach at this point (optional)
- Mix and serve.
Notes
- If you want to kick it up a notch then saute some chopped tomatoes + red chilli powder for a few minutes in a little bit of oil. Top it once the black eyed peas have been cooked.
- Enjoy as is, with roti, or plain white rice.
Recipe Courtesy of The Curry Mommy
Natural and ancient remedy to wean from breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is such a beautiful journey, but bringing it to an end can be emotional and physically painful. I used an ancient Indian trick which worked wonders and I want to share that experience with you! Whether you are weaning right after birth or at 3 years of age, this method to stop breastmilk production will work without a doubt.
Tips on How to Wean a Baby from Breastfeeding
Ready to stop the journey? Weaning from breastfeeding is an emotional one, to be honest. My experience with breastfeeding and weaning comes from nursing two amazing babies until 14 months of age and using up frozen breast milk thereafter. Whether you stop nursing after a few days or years, I can guarantee one thing that will work based on my experience.
On the contrary, if you are looking to increase your breastmilk supply, then give this recipe a try.
Continue to read on below and find out exactly what I’m talking about.
FOR NOW, I want to share what I experienced while weaning both from breastfeeding.
First off, I highly recommend weaning slowly versus stopping cold turkey. I tried both and let me tell you, stopping cold turkey is PAINFUL.
Second , I recommend having an army of help if possible. I had no help when I weaned my first and my amazing parents to help me with second. Their presence and hands on deck helped tame my emotions really well. Truth be told, this journey is draining and downright depressing for the mother.
Third , wean when YOU are ready. No one should tell you when to stop breastfeeding. It is your decision. PERIOD.
Common tips: After reading, talking to numerous friends, consulting my doctor, speaking with lactation consultants, etc I can definitely say I tried a lot of different tricks to stop the milk from forming. Some commonly recommended things were
- ALL things peppermint (tea + peppermints)
- Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) every 4 hours
- COLD Cabbage leaves to cover the breast every few hours (SO SOOTHING)
- Sage Leaves (tea)
- Ibuprofen every 4 hours
- Cold Compress
- NO PUMPING or NURSING
- Hot showers with expression if feeling heavily engorged
After trying all of that for 1 week, I had no relief. PLUS, not being able to hold my baby because of the pain was aching my heart to say the least. I was so thankful for the help of my parents. They never hesitated to give me some space, let me get rest, or allow me to take care of myself while they handled EVERYTHING around me. Cooked meals, washed laundry, bathing my kids, etc… gods!
Since none of the things I was doing was working, I decided to call a dear friend in India. Why? I kept thinking to myself there had to be a more natural way to stop this madness. The amount of medicine I was taking just didn’t sound kosher in my book. Did my friend have any great tips? YOU BET!
If I was considering weaning from breastfeeding, she said to only use her tip if I was serious enough to stop breastfeeding. That made me a bit more emotional than I already was. But, I was so deep into weaning I wanted to continue!
What really worked: I was advised to place papad instead of cabbage on my breasts! Yup, you read that right, PAPAD! CONFUSED MUCH? Me too! No joke, I went from feeling like a crisp cabbage salad to a spicy crunchy papad in a matter of minutes! Was I skeptical, HECK YES! But let me tell you, IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM IN JUST TWO ATTEMPTS.
METHOD: Simply wet a raw uncooked papad for a few seconds in some water and place it directly on your breast. Leave it on for a few hours and then toss it all into the garbage/compost bin. It will be uncomfortable since the papad will crisp after a few minutes, but trust me-it works like a charm. I placed these on my breasts before bedtime and had to wake up within a few hours to take them out. As the papad dries it sharpens. Hence, it will poke and hurt. However, with only two attempts I felt SO much relief. I continued to use papad for two days but overall I felt A LOT BETTER.
This is what the papad will look like when removing.
Surprised much? It worked and that is all that matters-haha. When you’re ready to wean your little one keep this ancient Indian remedy in mind. I hope you have a great weaning experience :). For additional information check out this website.
