purewellnessamy

Hi there!

How are you? We’re doing well here. We’ve been treated to gorgeous, clear mornings like this all week long:

It’s so bright and sunny, I thought that I could run outside wearing only my pjs and flip-flops to take a picture of the sky.  But the second I opened the door, I received a frigid slap in the face and heard Mother Nature cackle and say “PSYCHE!! It’s still winter, dummy!”

In my mind, Mother Nature is Kathy Bates. In Misery. (If you’ve never seen that movie, you should totally put it on your Netflix list. It’s so sick, but I love it.) 

So, last night I made Angela’s Black-Eyed Pea Masala, with a few adjustments.  It’s similar to the Chana Masala I make, but different enough to warrant a blog post!

Black-Eyed Pea Masala

Adapted from Oh She Glows and Fat Free vegan Kitchen.

Yield: approx 6 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or oil of choice)
• 1 15 oz. can of black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained (this was the major adjustment. Angela used dried peas – pwa)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ginger-root, minced (or more to taste) (I used about a teaspoon of ginger powder – pwa)
• 3 small cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 3 cups canned diced tomato (approx. one 28oz can)
• 1.5-2 teaspoons garam masala, to taste
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste (I didn’t use any sugar – pwa)
• 1.5 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Chopped parsley or cilantro, to garnish (I added leftover baby spinach at the end – pwa)
• Rice or bread, for serving (I served the masala over leftover whole wheat couscous – pwa)

Directions:

In a large skillet, add 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat and add the chopped onions. Cook, stirring, until onions soften, about 6-8 minutes. Add the cumin, ginger, and garlic and stir for about 1-2 minutes.

Add the drained peas and all remaining ingredients. Simmer until the black-eyed peas are tender, about 20 minutes. If desired, add chopped baby spinach and stir until wilted. Check seasonings and add more salt and garam masala if necessary.

Sprinkle with parsley/cilantro and serve with brown rice or fresh bread (or couscous). Makes approx. 6 cups.

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As I mentioned, Angela used dried black-eyed peas in her recipe, while I took the easy way out and used the canned version.  Please jump to Oh She Glows if you want the directions for cooking the dried peas.

I thought this masala was great (and quick). I only wished that I had a piece of warm naan to scoop it up with. The couscous was fine, but it wasn’t naan!

Enjoy your Thursday!