Kale & Black-Eyed bean curry/Dry Subzi

Kale – a cruciferous leafy green packed with all the nutrients has a strong and earthy taste. This nutrient dense dark leafy green when cooked along with some lentils like black-eyed bean becomes a wholesome food. This Kale & black-eyed bean curry /dry subzi is made by sautéing the kale leaves along with already cooked black-eyed beans, grated carrot, ginger and spices. The addition of lemon juice before serving adds some tanginess and brightness to this earthy green. It can be served along with South Indian meals as dry curry / porial or as a dry subzi with roti /jeera rice.

Kale leaves are thick, dry, tough and crunchy and can be eaten raw or cooked. They do not wilt easily like other greens when cooked. The stem or the middle rib is fibrous and tough and imparts more bitterness. But stems are edible when cooked. In this recipe, I have discarded the stem so as to get a smooth texture.

Ingredients:

Kale	1 small bunch
Black-eyed bean / Black-eyed pea (uncooked)	1/4 th cup
Carrot	1 medium size
Onion	1 medium size
Ginger	small piece
Jeera / Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	1 teaspoon
Kashmiri chilli powder	1 teaspoon
Coconut oil or Olive oil	1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon
Lime or Lemon	1
Salt	to taste

Instructions:

• Wash and soak the black-eyed bean in water for about 15 minutes. Add about 1/4 th teaspoon of turmeric powder. Pressure cook the black-eyed bean for 3 whistles. The bean should be well cooked but should not be mushy. Depending upon the type of cooker you use, adjust the cooking time.
• Wash the kale leaves. Pluck the leaves from the stem and discard the stem. Finely chop the kale leaves.
• Wash and peel the skin of the carrot. Grate the carrot and keep it aside. Finely chop the onion and ginger.

• In a pan, add 1 to 2 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil, add jeera/cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add the finely chopped onions. Sauté till the onions are transparent. Now add the chopped ginger. Stir for few seconds and then add the finely chopped kale leaves. Sprinkle some water and close with a lid. The kale leaves take a little bit more time than the other greens like spinach. Cook until the leaves are chewy and tender. Add grated carrot and cook for few seconds. I have added carrots so as to balance out the earthy and bitter flavour (if any) from the kale. You can skip adding the carrot if you wish so.

• Add salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder. Mix well so that the salt is evenly distributed. Cook until the carrots become soft and tender. Taste and check for the spice level. Add more chilli powder if you wish to spice it up. Cook for few seconds and switch off the flame.
• Squeeze some lime or lemon juice just before serving.

• Serve this along with South Indian meals as a side dish/poriyal or as a dry subzi for roti / jeera rice.

Notes:

• To add some texture and flavour, you can also add shredded coconut in the end. Sauté for few seconds after adding the coconut and serve as mentioned above.
• For a more tangy and moist version, you can also add finely chopped garlic and tomatoes after the onions are cooked. Sauté till the tomatoes are tender and mushy and follow the rest of the procedure as mentioned above.