Lobia – Karamani Masiyal / Thattapayir masiyal – Lobia or cowpeas is also known as Karamani / thatta payir in Tamil. Karamani Masiyal is commonly made in Tamilnadu where the lobia beans are soaked overnight, soft cooked in a pressure cooker and blended coarsely along with tempered spices, shallots and tomatoes.
How to cook Lobia
Karamani Masiyal | Mashed cowpea recipe ( for rice )
Cooking instructions with step by step pictures
Soak the cowpeas for at least 4 hours or overnight. Wash thoroughly and drain the water.
In a pressure cooker add the soaked lobia / karamani, salt, garlic cloves, tomato and salt.
Pressure cook for 6 whistles in low-medium flame and allow the pressure to release naturally. Save the remaining water to use while blending.
Heat oil in a pan or kadai, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When they crackle add peppercorns and coriander seeds and roast them on low flame for a few seconds.
Now add shallots and dried red chilli.
Saute till shallots turn translucent and are slightly browned.
Add this mixture to the cooked cowpeas and allow them to completely cool down.
Transfer everything into a blender.
Blend into a coarse mixture. Add the leftover water from the pressure cooker to adjust the consistency.
Transfer the mixture into a bowl.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle add curry leaves.
Add this tadka mixture to the mashed cowpeas.
Serve hot with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.
Recipe notes (for cooking lobia)
- You can make this recipe with either white lobia or red lobia. Both works fine.
- Though you can replace shallots with onions, shallots give an unique flavour and taste to the dish.
- If you forgot to soak the cowpeas, just soak them in hot water for an hour and continue with the recipe.
Lobia recipe ( mashed cowpea ) | Karamani Masiyal
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Kadai
- Blender
Ingredients
To pressure cook
- ½ cup cowpeas / Karamani
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium sized tomato
- ½ tsp castor oil
- Salt to taste
To saute
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tbsp peppercorns
- ½ tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 dried red chilli
- 10 shallots
- A pinch of asafoetida
To temper
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- A sprig of curry leaves
Instructions
- Soak the cowpeas for at least 4 hours or overnight. Wash thoroughly and drain the water.
- In a pressure cooker add the soaked lobia / karamani, salt, garlic cloves, tomato and salt. Pressure cook for 6 whistles in low-medium flame and allow the pressure to release naturally. Save the remaining water to use while blending.
- Heat oil in a pan or kadai, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
- When they crackle add peppercorns and coriander seeds and roast them on low flame for a few seconds.
- Now add shallots and dried red chilli.
- Saute till shallots turn translucent and are slightly browned.
- Add this mixture to the cooked cowpeas and allow them to completely cool down.
- Transfer everything into a blender.
- Blend into a coarse mixture. Add the leftover water from the pressure cooker to adjust the consistency.
- Transfer the mixture into a bowl.
- Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle add curry leaves.
- Add this tadka mixture to the mashed cowpeas.
- Serve hot with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.
Notes
- You can make this recipe with either white lobia or red lobia. Both works fine.
- Though you can replace shallots with onions, shallots give an unique flavour and taste to the dish.
- If you forgot to soak the cowpeas, just soak them in hot water for an hour and continue with the recipe.