Black-Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Berbere
A mix of African and global ingredients bring big flavor to this creamy, spicy, hearty stew.
Servings 3 or 4 (or more, if served with rice)
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried black-eyed peas (12 ounces)
- kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 1-1/2 tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 habanero chile, seeded and minced (see Kitchen Notes)
- 2 teaspoons berbere seasoning (see Kitchen Notes)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped (12 or 13 ounces total)
- 1 cup coconut milk (see Kitchen Notes)
- 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth (see Kitchen Notes for vegetarian option)
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- cooked white rice for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the black-eyed peas in a colander under cold running water. In a large saucepan, combine the peas with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until tender, about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding extra water if needed. Add a generous pinch of salt and let stand for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in another large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chile, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
- Add the berbere and turmeric, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk and stock and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Add the peas to the sauce and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and scallions, and taste and adjust seasoning with salt, if needed (we found a little salt brought the flavor to life). Serve in soup bowls—you can serve over cooked white rice to feed more guests.
Kitchen Notes
Dialing down the heat. Even seeded, the habanero pepper adds a lot of spiciness to this dish. But you do want the fruity, peppery taste it adds. Try substituting a green jalapeño pepper, seeded, to tame the fire a bit.
Where to get berbere. You can find berbere spice blends at many shops and online. We got ours at The Spice House. You can also make your own—there are plenty of recipes online, widely varying, of course.
Shake the coconut. In our experience, canned coconut milk is not homogenous—usually, it’s thin liquid surrounding a big clump. Shake the can—a lot—before opening. Then count on using a fork or small whisk to smooth everything into a thickish liquid.
Making this stew vegetarian. Just substitute vegetable broth or even water for the chicken broth. You can even make it vegan by substituting olive oil for the butter, but Ethiopian recipes almost always use butter or ghee. Lots of it.