Pressure cooked cow pea ( thattapayiru) gravy

Cowpea has been an inevitable dal variety in South India. And the moms have the habit of doing it atleast once a montha & feed their babies with rice & ghee. And I too was not given excuse in having it. Anyhow coming to its taste, it is really yummy. Its health benefits are immense as Cowpea tones the spleen, stomach and pancreas; it helps induce urination and relieves damp conditions like leucorrhea and also highly reduces Cancer and Improves Child Survival. And now the recipe....

cowpea - 250gm soaked for atleast 6hrs

tomato - 2 big size

small onions - pealed & chopped

garlic - 2 piece

ginger - equivalent to garlic

cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

pepper - 1/2 tbsp

sambar powder - 2-3 spoons

corriander powder - 1 tbsp

turmeric powder - a pinch

mustard seeds - a little

asafoetida - a pinch

curry leaves, corriander leaves to garnish

oil - 2 tbsp (I used Extra virgin olive oil )

salt to taste

water - 1/2 litre

Method

Make a paste of tomato, ginger, galic, cumin seeds, pepper, sambar, turmeric & corriander powder. Heat the oil in pressure pan, spurt the mustard seeds, add onion, fry till golden color and add the paste, asafoetida with salt. Let the oil separate from the mixture & then add the soaked cow peas and add enough water to it.

Allow 5-6 whistles in high flame. Switch off and after the steam is released, open the lid and garnish with corriander, curry leaves and add a spoon of ghee for a good aroma and flavour.