Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena
PrepTime:10 mins CookTime:5 mins Cuisine:Indian
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Black-eyed Beans / Alasanda Salad, is what I made today for MAHA SHIVARATRI, the Indian festival related to the Supreme GOD ‘Lord Shiva’. 🙏🌺
MAHA SHIVA RATRI wishes to all those celebrating!! 🙏🌺🌻 Happy to share this DIVINE DRAWING by my 3 kids!! 
🌺🌻
This dish is called as GUGGILLU in Telugu (South Indian language) and as SUNDAL in Tamil. The nearest word that can be translated to English is ‘SALAD’. While there is no pouring salad dressing in such recipes, but there is Indian style tempering & seasoning.
In this recipe, the black-eyed beans can be replaced with chickpeas / senagalu too. I have already posted its recipe. Recipe Link>> Thalimpu Senagala / Chana Tadka / Seasoned Chickpeas
For my detailed recipe about how to soak, cook and sprout any type of beans go to this link⇒ How to cook and sprout beans
How to use / serve, ‘Black Eyed Beans Salad’:
This, Black-eyed beans / Alasanda salad is a perfect recipe for festival nayivedyam (offering to God), very very very (yes 3 very(s)) 🙂 ) commonly made in South Indian temples as an oferring to the temples deity.
Mainly because of the No Onion, No Garlic, SATVIK features and masala / heavy flavoured spices not being used in here.
This stays good for kids lunch box. And being very low in spice, my kids prefer having this.
You can have this as part of tacos, wraps, any meal, buddha bowl, salad bowl, breakfast or dinner too.
As shown in the pic below, I made a simple salad bowl including this Black Eyed Beans Salad along with halved avocado, slit green chillies and fresh salad onions. It was too good in taste, and at the same time was quite filling.
Health Benefits of ‘Black Eyed Beans Salad’:
Black Eyed Beans / Lobia, are rich in iron, protein & fiber. They are low in calories too.
Jeera / Cumin, helps in easy digestion and hence eliminates any indigestion issue.
Mustard Seeds are known for their anti-inflammatory property. So,can be useful for reducing blood pressure, arthristis, asthma effects.
To conclude, this is a recipe that is Low in Cals, Protein rich, High Fiber, Vegan, Gluten free, Nut free, Soy Free, can be made oil-free too (check Tips section).
Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned at the end.
Other Salad recipes⇒ Salads
Instant Pot recipes collection⇒ Electric Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Recipes
Low Cals / Carbs recipes collection⇒ Weight Loss Food / Low Carb Recipes
Related Posts:
- Traditional Indian Recipes for Festivals / Panduga Nayivedyalu
- Sprouted Red Beans & Potato Salad / Chat (Instant Pot, Stove Top)
- Black-eyed beans Nuggets / Alasanda Vada (Air-Fryer & Stove-top)
- Breakfast with Black Eyed Peas / Alasanda Dosa
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Ingredients: (serves 2)
- Black-eyed peas / beans – 1½ cups (soaked / boiled)
- Carrots – 2 (medium size) (grated)
- Green Cucumber / Keera – palm length (chopped)
- Grated Coconut – ¼ cup (fresh / frozen)
- Chopped Fresh Ginger – 1 tablespoon
- Fresh Coriander Leaves – a handful (chopped)
- Lemon Juice – 1 tablespoon
- Green Chillies – 2 (chopped)
- Red Chilli Flakes – 1 teaspoon
- Salt – as per taste
Ingredients for tempering:
- Cumin / Jeera – 1 teaspoon
- Sesame Seeds / Nuvvulu – 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric – ¼ teaspoon
- Cooking Oil – 2 tablespoons
- Mustard Seeds / Aavalu – 1 teaspoon (optional)
Special Ingredients:
- Fresh Coriander Leaves
- Fresh Grated Coconut
Step Wise Pics Procedure for ‘Black Eyed Beans Indian Salad / Alasanda Guggillu’:
PREP WORK (common for both methods):
- To ‘SOAK’ the Black Eyed Beans:
- Take 2 cups of beans into a wide vessel, wash them thoroughly. Add water, 4 times the quantity of beans.
- Leave the vessel on kitchen platform, let the beans soak for 8 hrs.
- Strain the soaked water before cooking.
STOVE TOP METHOD:
- To ‘COOK’ the Black-Eyed Beans:
- on STOVE TOP: Take the beans into a sauce pan, add double quantity of water. Close with lid. Let them cook on medium flame until they soften (might take 30 to 40 mins).
- on STOVE TOP PRESSURE COOKER:Take them into the cooker. Add 1½ cups of water.
- Close the lid, put the whistle ON, let it cook for 5 whistles. Open only when the pressure is released.
If you are using canned (or) already cooked black eyed beans, ignore all the above ‘PREP WORK’ steps, and proceed with the recipe from here.
INSTANT POT METHOD:
- Take the soaked Black Eyed Beans into the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water.
- Close the lid, turn the valve to SEALING, and set the mode to BEAN / CHILI (or) to PRESSURE COOK for 5 mins. Release the pressure naturally (NPR) or quickly (QPR). Any way is fine.
If you are using canned (or) already cooked black eyed beans, ignore all the above ‘PREP WORK’ steps, and proceed with the recipe from here.
Tips:
- Adjust the salt & spice as per your taste.
- Grated Coconut might be replaced with desiccated coconut too. Works good.
- I have used sesame seeds in the Stove Top Method, and Mustard seeds in the Instant Pot method. Just to see show the variation.
- For Instant Pot Method: Time is set by the gadget itself for Bean / Chili mode. You need not set it. But, for Pressure Cook / Manual Mode you will have to set the time.
- WFPB options: To make the salad even more healthier WITHOUT OIL, just add boiled black-eyed beans, raw veggies into a bowl, add the seasoning. Toss and serve. You can skip the ‘tempering’ section, skip the salt too.
- You can add the seasonings, and store it in fridge but top up the grated veggies just before serving.
Result:
- Black Eyed Beans Indian Salad / Alasanda Guggillu, which I thought to be very simple/plain to taste, turned out lipsmacking.
- We had a hearty, guilt-free feeling after all.
- As per South Indian tradition, this salad is very much suitable for upavasam / fasting day diet.
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Black-eyed beans Salad / Alasanda Guggillu
Equipment
- Frying pan (for stove-top method)
- Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker (for IP method)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Boiled Black-eyed peas / beans (soaked or boiled)
- 2 count Carrots (medium size) (grated)
- 1 palm length Green Cucumber / Keera (chopped)
- ¼ cup Grated Coconut (fresh / frozen / desiccated)
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Ginger
- 1 handful Fresh Coriander Leaves (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 count Green Chillies (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes
- as per taste Salt
Ingredients for Tempering:
- 1 teaspoon Cumin / Jeera
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds / Nuvvulu
- ¼ pinch Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds / Aavalu (optional)
- 3 tablespoons Cooking Oil
Instructions
PREP WORK (common for both methods):
- To ‘SOAK’ the black eyed beans:Take 2 cups of beans into a wide vessel, wash them thoroughly. Add water, 4 times the quantity of beans.Leave the vessel on kitchen platform, let the beans soak for 8 hrs.Strain the soaked water before cooking.
STOVE TOP METHOD:
- To ‘COOK’ the black-eyed beans: on STOVE TOP: Take the beans into a sauce pan, add double quantity of water. Close with lid. Let them cook on stove-top medium flame until they soften (might take 30 to 40 mins).on STOVE TOP PRESSURE COOKER: Take them into the cooker. Add 1½ cups of water.Close the lid, put the whistle ON, let it cook for 5 whistles. Open only when the pressure is released.
If you are using canned (or) already cooked black eyed beans, ignore all the above steps, and proceed with the recipe from here.
- Put a frying pan on stove top under medium flame.Add the 'Ingredients for tempering' to the pan. Saute for a min.
- Add the boiled black-eyed beans into the same pan.Give a stir, see that the tempering is well coated to the beans.
- Add all of these>>> Salt, Chilli Flakes, Chopped Cucumber, Grated Carrot, Chopped Fresh Ginger, Grated Coconut to the pan.Stir everything gently but thoroughly.Leave it on flame for 2-3 mins. Until the raw flavour of veggies is lessened.
- Lastly, add the chopped coriander and toss the pan and switch the flame off.Take the salad into 2 serving bowls, garnish each with leftover grated carrot, grated coconut and chopped cucumber.Sprinkle some lemon juice on top. Done!!
INSTANT POT / ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER METHOD:
- in INSTANT POT: Take them into the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water.Close the lid, turn the valve to SEALING, and set the mode to BEAN / CHILI (or) to PRESSURE COOK for 5 mins. Release the pressure naturally (NPR) or quickly (QPR). Anyway is fine.
If you are using canned (or) already cooked black eyed beans, ignore all the above steps, and proceed with the recipe from here.
- Put the Instant Pot vessel back, switch ON the gadget, set the MODE to SAUTE for 4 mins. Add the Oil, let it heat, then add all the ‘Ingredients for tempering’ and saute them for a min.
- Immediately, add all these>>> Boiled Black Eyed Beans, Grated Carrot, Grated Coconut, Chopped Green Cucumber, Salt, Chopped Ginger, Red Chilli Flakes / Chopped Green Chillies.Gently mix up everything, such that the tempering is well incorporated throughout.
- When the timer beeps, Switch off the gadget. Transfer the salad into serving dish. Done!!
Notes
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Looks wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! 🙂 Do let me know ur feedback once tried too!
I saw this and got inspired to make black eyes peas. I ended up making a onion tomato based gravy and added black eyed peas in it because I was serving it with roti.
But I took your tips and preparation method and even added avocado. My husband loved it!!!
Thanks so much Praveena!
Hi Olive,That’s great to know. 🙂 So nice of you for letting me know your twist to the recipe and the feedback. Most welcome! 🙏