More complicated than the preceding recipe, this sweet, spicy, unusual preparation is one I adore. You can make it with other legumes, of course, but black-eyed peas are traditional, and they cook more quickly than most others. (If you can find them frozen—or, better still, fresh—they’ll cook very quickly.) Other legumes you can prepare this way: lentils, chickpeas, black beans, red beans.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 cups dried black-eyed peas, rinsed and picked over

　　2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　1 tablespoon minced garlic

　　1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste (this dish is not normally made fiery hot)

　　1 tablespoon tamarind paste, homemade (page 585) or store-bought, or fresh lime juice

　　2 cups coconut milk, homemade (page 584) or canned

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　

Step 1

Soak the beans for several hours or overnight, then drain. If you have no time to soak at all, that’s okay too—just allow for more cooking time. Drain the beans and cook in water to cover until tender, usually 30 to 60 minutes. Drain.

　　

Step 2

Put the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. A minute later, add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until the garlic colors, about a minute. Add the beans, then the cayenne, tamarind (if you’re using lime juice, hold it out until the last minute), and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat so the mixture simmers.

　　

Step 3

Cook until most of the coconut milk is absorbed and the beans are very soft, another 20 minutes or so. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve or cover and refrigerate for up to a couple of days before reheating gently.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.