Gongura Bobbarla Kura (Sorrel Spinach and Black eyed Peas curry)

Last weekend we visited my cousin's place and she has a lovely backyard garden filled with Indian greens and veggies. My mom and I were got very excited and brought home bags full of gongura (sorrel spinach), bachalakura (malabar spinach/ pohi) and some tomatoes.

Indian stores here sell gongura & bachalakura for lot of money. I'm never even tempted to buy these sorry looking greens -- they are almost wilted with absolutely no life left. This explains our excitement when we saw fresh, vibrant greens :-)

I saw this recipe with gongura and black eyed peas on a Telugu cooking show and it looked very different from what we usually make with it. Garden fresh greens cook up in no time. This healthy  & delicious curry goes well with both rice and roti.

Ingredients: Serves 2~3

Gongura - 2cups, chopped
Black eyed peas (bobbarlu) - ½cup 

Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
Tomato - 1 small, finely chopped
Ginger+garlic paste - ½tsp
Green Chilies - 2, slit
Turmeric powder - ¼tsp
Red Chili powder - ½tsp
Ground Coriander - ½tsp
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Chana dal - ½tsp
Urad dal - ½tsp
Dry red chili - 1
Curry leaves - few
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Soak black eyed peas for 2~3 hours, then pressure cook them until soft and tender. Drain and set aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add dry red chili, chana dal, urad dal, mustard and cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to splutter, add the curry leaves and green chilies. Cook for 30 seconds.
• Next add onions and ginger+garlic paste, cook for 2~3 minutes or the onions are crisp tender. Don't overcook the onions, curry tastes great if they are left a little crunchy.
• Add the chopped gongura and turmeric. Cover and cook till the leaves wilt and are cooked through.
• Next add the tomato, red chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Cover and cook till the tomato gets mushy, about 2~3 minutes.
• Finally add the cooked black eyed peas and little water, mix well, cover and cook for 4~5minutes for the flavors to mingle. Serve with rice or roti.

Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: August -- Week 3'.