#feildbeans

Alasande Kalu - Black-Eyed Peas Curry Recipe

There’s something very fulfilling about alasande kaalu pallya or black-eyed peas curry. It is earthy, dense and doubles as a main course and a side dish. What more can a cook ask for? :)

Black-eyed peas is also called as Cow peas, crowder bean, field peas among other names. In India, it is called as Lobia, Chawli, Kulath and of course, Alasande, in Karnataka.

Alasande kaalu may have never been a part of our menu, had it not travelled far, wide and well. This legume has it’s roots in Africa and was introduced to India about 1500 odd years ago.  Africa is still the highest producer of cow peas as it is a major cash crop for them.

Cow peas has become an important part of our diet as it grows well in India and other parts of Asia too. All it needs is a warm, humid climate to grow in and India’s has no shortage there. :)

Folks, grains are very important for our diet and thank this blessed Earth for filling our pantries with a wide variety of them. Apart from Cow peas, we have whole moong (green gram), horse gram, whole black gram, rajma, moth beans, green and white dried peas, channa, a wide variety of dals, such as, split urad, split channa, split moong and toor dal, arhar dal and certain other lesser known varieties that may be not be grown or eaten as often by us. An important thing to note here, is that these listed legumes have so many varieties within their genus, that only adds to our menu.

Cow peas is a vital legume that needs just a few hours of soaking time and a few extra whistles in the pressure cooker to get done. With a little planning, you may enjoy this at least three times a week - especially if you are pregnant or a busy working woman with lowering haemoglobin count. Cow peas has a rich minerals profile, apart from the obvious protein, carbs and dietary fiber content. I encourage you to go through the nutritional value chart on Health Benefits Times for more information.

Do browse through the link above and hey, don’t forget to make some alasande for your next meal.

“Anna daata sukhi bhava!”