Black-Eyed Pea Stew in Tomato Broth

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Fried onion

1. 1
   In advanceSoak the black-eyed peas 8 hours in water and drain.

   ⚙ SoakingBowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Transfer the black-eyed peas to a pot, cover with water and cook, until tender. Drain.

   StovePotColander
3. 3
   Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStovePot
4. 4
   Add the onion and fry for 8 minutes, stirring, until the onion is soft and deep golden.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
5. 5
   Add the garlic and fry about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter. Add it only after the onion has softened, over medium heat, and add the next ingredient as soon as it smells fragrant.

To assemble

1. 6
   Add the cumin, turmeric, paprika, salt and black pepper and stir.
2. 7
   Add the tomatoes and cook 5 minutes.

   Stove
3. 8
   Add the tomato paste, stock and black-eyed peas and bring to a boil.

   Stove
4. 9
   Turn down the heat, cover and simmer 20–25 minutes, until the sauce thickens.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
5. 10
   Sprinkle the parsley on top.
6. 11
   Serve the stew with fresh bread.