I'm a huge fan of beans, and they are great if you are looking to cut down or eliminate your meat intake. They are filling, nutritious, and high in protein to name a few benefits.

Black-eyed peas - also known as cowpeas - are hearty and delicious. This bean is eaten extensively across West Africa where it's said to have originated and is an important staple in the Caribbean and the American South - where they are considered a lucky charm by some during New Years.

You can do a lot with black-eyed peas as they are quite versatile, check out my black-eyed pea and pinto bean meatloaf recipe for example.

I served this stew with finger millet in the form of sadza, a thick porridge native to Zimbabwe using an ancient grain much healthier than its white corn counterpart. You can find a recipe for it, here.

The spices muddled in the coconut milk and tomato makes for a rich stew that can be paired with a variety of vegetables or grilled meats or served as a main dish. You won't regret it!

Ingredients

3 cups dry black-eyed peas (soaked for 24 hours and drained)

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon coriander

1 tablespoon ginger

1 can coconut milk

3 beef bouillons

6 cups water

1 teaspoon fenugreek

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon garlic

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, finely chopped

1 cup tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons tomato sauce/ketchup

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons curry powder

Instructions

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil and butter for 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.

Add the spices, bouillon cubes, salt and black pepper, cook for another 2 minutes.

Mix in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce/ketchup, cook for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the green pepper and black-eyed peas, then pour in the water and coconut milk. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Reduce the temperature and simmer for 35-40 minutes. Check the stew periodically and stir until the black-eyed peas soften and are cooked through. Add more water if needed. 

While the beans are cooking, prepare your sadza or whatever starch you want to serve the stew with. All you'll need for that is water and corn/maize/millet meal.

Serve both hot, enough for 4-5.