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Instant Pot: Goan Black-Eyed Peas from Scratch

January 23, 2026 5 Comments

Instant Pot: Goan Black-Eyed Peas from Scratch
 Black eyed peas recipe

THERE IS JUST SOMETHING ABOUT THIS DISH … 

… black-eyed peas cooked to creamy perfection with coconut milk, spiced with just the right amount of heat from red chile powder and tartness from tamarind —simply served with plain white rice or crusty sourdough bread. In our home, rarely do non-Punjabi dishes make it into our weekly meal rotation, largely because my family lives for that straight forward North Indian fiery heat and frown upon my attempts to sneak raisins in their biryani or add caramelized onion to their dal.

There is something about this dish that has broken through their rabid resistance. With it, my family has given up their penchant for cumin rice and a side of lemony onions and are willing to eat a non-Punjabi dish two nights in a row. Did I mention my love of cooking has created culinary monsters at home? 

This dish hails from Goa, India’s smallest state on the southwest coast, known for its beaches and Portuguese heritage and culinary influence. The three elements that help it stand apart from a Punjabi dish include coconut milk, tamarind, and the absence of the spice blend, garam masala. I’ve offered a simple Instant Pot/pressure cooker version here inspired by the recipe in my book Instant Pot Indian on page 91, which in turn was derived from my recipe in The Indian Slow Cooker on page 95. To adapt this for the stovetop, simply cook the beans first in water and then follow the instructions.  Be prepared to fall in love.

xoxo Anupy

Adding hee to your rice with your curry

Instant Pot: Goan Black-Eyed Peas from Scratch

Size: 3 quart or larger
Makes: 4 cups
Warm Up: 11 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Cool Down: 10 minutes natural release + manual release 
Total: Soak time + 56 minutes + Manual release time

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole, dried black-eyed peas, picked over and washed
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil like coconut or ghee
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ small yellow onion, minced or pureed
  • 1 (½-inch) piece ginger, minced or pureed
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or pureed
  • 1-2 Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
  • 1 small tomato, pureed
  • ½  teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons red chile powder or cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons tamarind puree
  • 1 ½ cups water, for cooking
  • ½ cup coconut milk, add later
  • 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice, add later
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Soak the black-eyed peas in ample boiled, hot water for 1 hour or in room temperature water for 6 hours to overnight. Drain and discard the water.
  2. Place the inner pot in your Instant Pot. Select the SAUTE setting and adjust to MORE. When the indicator flashes HOT, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the turmeric and onion. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the ginger, garlic, and fresh chiles. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the tomato. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen anything stuck.
  5. Press CANCEL. Add the cumin, red chile, coriander, salt, brown sugar, tamarind, black-eyed peas, and water. Stir.
  6. Lock the lid into place and make sure the pressure release valve is set to the sealing position (upwards). Press the PRESSURE COOK button and then press the PRESSURE LEVEL button until the panel reads HIGH. Adjust the cook time to 30 minutes.
  7. Once the cooking is complete, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Then, manually release the remaining pressure, press CANCEL, and remove the lid.
  8. Add coconut milk and lemon or lime juice and stir. Cover the pot loosely with the lid for 2 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with plain rice or a crusty baguette for breakfast. All the spices are edible. 
Check out my process shots!

 

More Like This Recipe
How to process tomatoes for a curry

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[[ recipeID=recipe-2mh0w1c5t, title=Instant Pot: Goan Black-Eyed Peas ]]




5 Responses

Sri
Sri

February 09, 2023

I made this on the stovetop. My husband loves it so much he was sad when we finished it. Thanks for a great recipe.

Claire Yab
Claire Yab

February 07, 2022

I am so excited to find this adaptation! This is my favorite recipe from your slow cooker book and I used to make it all the time. However, I got rid of my crockpot before realizing how bad the IP is for slow cooking. I tried your black eyed peas once and it was an utter fail. I’m excited to add them back into our repertoire. My family will be delighted! Thank you.

Kay Jonas
Kay Jonas

February 07, 2022

I have to be honest: I have no InstaPot. I know nothing about black-eyed peas. And to say that I followed this recipe to the letter would be an overstatement. I was so eager to make this recipe that I soaked the peas overnight and in the morning, I threw them into a crockpot with water on “high” while I dashed to the grocery store for other ingredients. 4 hrs and too many errands later, I arrived home to find the peas sadly mooshy but I determinedly finished the remainder of the ingredients as per the recipe and added them to the drained peas. My husband absolutely loved it! He ate 2 bowlsful with rice and asked about the leftovers whenever the next mealtime came around. We both loved the tang that the tamarind imparts, the blend of spices and of course, the coconut milk. I can’t comment on the technical side of this recipe but taste-wise, this one’s a winner!

Hannah
Hannah

December 29, 2021

I made these for Lunar New Year here in Korea, and they were so good that I wanted to cry, even though I didn’t have tamarind. Thank you so much!

Pam
Pam

December 17, 2021

This was SO tasty! The coconut milk makes it very creamy and the lime juice is the kicker. I admit I didn’t grind the tomato, just chopped it up. I think I liked the texture it added that way.

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Instant Pot: Goan Black-Eyed Peas from Scratch

by Anupy Singla, Indian As Apple Pie

Servings: 4 cups

Keywords: Indian Recipes, Instant Pot, New Years

  • Prep Time: 1 hours 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hours 45 mins

Ingredients

Instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole, dried black-eyed peas, picked over and washed
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, like coconut or ghee
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ small yellow onion, minced or pureed
  • 1 (½-inch) piece ginger, minced or pureed
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or pureed
  • 1-2 Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
  • 1 small tomato, pureed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons red chile powder or cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons tamarind puree
  • 1 ½ cups water, for cooking
  • ½ cup coconut milk, add later
  • 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice, add later
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Soak the black-eyed peas in ample boiled, hot water for 1 hour or in room temperature water for 6 hours to overnight. Drain and discard the water.
  2. Place the inner pot in your Instant Pot. Select the SAUTE setting and adjust to MORE. When the indicator flashes HOT, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the turmeric and onion. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add the ginger, garlic, and fresh chiles. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the tomato. Stir and cook for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen anything stuck.
  5. Press CANCEL. Add the cumin, red chile, coriander, salt, brown sugar, tamarind, black-eyed peas, and water. Stir.
  6. Lock the lid into place and make sure the pressure release valve is set to the sealing position (upwards). Press the PRESSURE COOK button and then press the PRESSURE LEVEL button until the panel reads HIGH. Adjust the cook time to 30 minutes.
  7. Once the cooking is complete, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Then, manually release the remaining pressure, press CANCEL, and remove the lid.
  8. Add coconut milk and lemon or lime juice and stir. Cover the pot loosely with the lid for 2 minutes. Garnish with the cilantro and serve with plain rice or a crusty baguette for breakfast. All the spices are edible. 

Notes

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