Name: Egyptian Black-Eyed Peas with Cilantro (Lubia)
Yield: Yield: 6–8 servings
Cuisine: Egypt
Ingredients: One 8-ounce can tomato sauce; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro root (or, if unavailable, chopped cilantro stems) and 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus additional whole leaves for garnish; Two 10-ounce packages (4 cups) frozen black-eyed peas, or 1½ cups dried black-eyed peas, picked over, drained, and rinsed (try frozen black-eyed peas, if available; they are usually more flavorful than the dried variety); 3 tablespoons olive oil; Syrian Pilaf or steamed white rice; 2 large garlic cloves, chopped; Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation info

Yield:
6–8
servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Gefilte Variations

By Jayne Cohen

Published 2000

About

Black-eyed peas probably arrived in ancient Judea from China via the Silk Route, and consuming them on Rosh Hashanah is a Middle Eastern tradition dating back to the Talmud.

For Egyptian Jews like Rachel Abboudi, who shared her family recipe with me several years ago, eating black-eyed peas embodies their wishes for prosperity and good fortune in the coming year. In this easy-to-prepare dish, Mrs. Abboudi spikes the beans (they are