What is Chawli, Black Eyed Beans, Cowpeas?

Black-eyed beans are creamy white in colour and have a black mark on their inner curve. The skin of black-eyed beans is quite thick. It has a subtle, nutty aroma and a rich creamy taste that is slightly earthy.
It is a subspecies of the cowpea, grown for its medium-sized edible bean, which has a unique natural taste that is nice even without spices!

Boiled chawli

Boiled chawli is the cooked form of the dry, hard black eyed beans. To prepare boiled chawli ,
· Wash the Black eyed Beans twice in running water,
· Soak overnight or at least for 4-5 hours, preferably in warm water.
· Add salt to taste and lid it to avoid vitamin and enzyme loss.
· Pressure cook till 4-5 whistles.
These turn brown in color and tender, simply edible. The skin might become loose or may even peel off.

Soaked chawli

Clean the chawli and remove any kind of stones or dirt. To soak chawli, first wash it twice with water and then soak it in warm water. Soaking in water enables the chawli to cook faster - thereby saving on time as well as energy.

How to Select Chawli, Black Eyed Beans, Cow Peas

• Always choose large, oblong beans that are creamy-white with a black "eye" on one side.
• Make sure the beans are free from contaminants, especially stones and insects.
• Cooked beans are also available in canned form.
• Check the manufacturing as well as expiry date before purchasing.

7 Ways to Use Chawli, Black Eyed Beans, Cowpeas

1. Always rinse and sort the beans before cooking to remove dirt and larger contaminants like stones. The beans can be eaten sprouted or cooked, or ground into flour. Soak the beans five to eight hours before cooking. When cooking, change the water after 30 minutes. The beans require salt, to bring out their full flavour. Adding salt too early inhibits water penetration and can toughen the beans. So, add the salt when they are more than half done.

2. It may be cooked till mushy and prepared as dal, or just cooked till soft and cooked with tomatoes, onions and spices to make Chawli Bean Subzi, Mixed Kathol. When the beans are fully cooked, taste one and adjust the seasonings as needed.

3. Curries are best made with chawli. Add ghee or oil to the pan; add chopped onions and sauté until slightly brown. Add tomato pulp, spices and mint paste to the onions. Let it simmer for five minutes or until the oil separates from the seasoning mixture. Add the beans. Garnish with fresh coriander or mint and serve Masala Chawli hot.

4. They are excellent in salads. Mexican Corn, Bean and Cheese Salad in a lemon dressing taste amazing with all the delectable multi-textures from corn, beans and vegetables.

5. Mix boiled chawli with chopped tomatoes, onions and an assortment of spices to make Chawli and Sprouted Moong Salad that is a perfect snack for those with blood pressure and heart problems. Chawli, Paneer and Veg Healthy Lunch Salad, Chatpata Chawli and Fruit Salad and Chawli and Beetroot Soup are some other healthy alternatives.

6. You can also prepare healthy snacks like Alasanda Vada and Chawli Beans & Mint Burger with soaked and boiled cow pea.

7. Make sumptuous main-courses like Potato Cakes Topped with Beans and Tomato Gravy, Chawli and Kabuli Chana Pulao with unique flavors and surprise your friends and family.

How to Store Chawli, Black Eyed Beans, Cowpeas

• Always store dry beans in a dry airtight container at room temperature.
• Do not store dry beans in the refrigerator.
• Beans are best used within one year. Over time, they can lose their moisture and take longer to soak and cook.
• Once cooked, beans can be kept in the refrigerator in a covered, airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Canned beans once opened should be used. But if need be, store the leftover in the freezer. It can keep good for two weeks opened/unopened.

Nutritional Information of Chawli (Black Eyed Beans, Cowpeas)

One cup of cooked Chawli (Black Eyes Beans, Cowpeas) is 80 grams.
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.
Nutritional Information for 1 cup Chawli given below.

258 Calories
19.28 grams of Protein
43.2 grams of Carbs
107 mcg Folate, Vitamin B9 (FA) = 107% of RDA (about 100 mcg)
12.7 grams of High Fiber = 50% of RDA (about 25 to 30 grams)
168 mg of Magnesium (Mg) = 48%% of RDA (about 350 mg )
3.68 mg of Zinc = 36.8% of RDA (about 10 to 12 mg)
6.8 mg of Iron (Fe) = 34% of RDA(about 20 mg for women)
0.41 mg of Vitamin B1, Thiamine : 34% of RDA (about 1.2 to 1.5 mg)
904 mg of Potassium (K) : 19.25% of RDA (about 4,700 mg)
61.6 mg of Calcium (Ca) = 6.1% of RDA (about 1000 mg)
0.47 grams of Fat

10 Health Benefits of Chawli, Black Eyes Beans, Cowpeas

1. Rich in Folate, Vitamin B9 : One cup of cooked Chawli has 107% of your daily folate requirements. Folate or Vitamin B9 helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Great source of Folic Acid for pregnant women and those who want to conceive.

2. High Fiber : Chawli are high in Fibre and 1 cup of cooked Cow Peas provides 50% of your daily Fibre requirements. Fibre results in your stomach feeling a lot fuller than refined carbs. When you feel full, it will prevent you from eating the wrong foods. Imagine eating a candy and you just want to have more and more of it. Thats because there is only sugar in it and no fibre. So pick foods with high fibre.

3. Rich in Magnesium : One cup of cooked cow peas has 48% of your daily Magnesium requirements. Magnesium helps in formation of bones and teeth and metabolism of calcium and potassium. Magnesium helps carbohydrates and hence regulate blood sugar levels helping Diabetics.

4. Rich in Zinc : Zinc helps in building immunity, is good for skin, great Antioxidant and involved in energy metabolism and hormone production including testosterone in males and female sex hormones involved in releasing of egg from the ovaries.

5. Provides 34% of Iron (Fe) requirements : Iron is an important nutrient for our body and for our health. It helps our cells "breathe". Iron (“haeme”) works with protein (“globin”) to make the “haemoglobin” in red blood cells. The haemoglobin carries oxygen to all parts of the body so it can perform its normal functions.

6. Rich in Vitamin B1, Thiamine : Vitamin B1, thiamin or thiamine is essential for glucose metabolism. Vitamin B1 also maintains proper nerve, muscle and heart function.

7. Potassium (K) : Get about 20% of your potassium requirements from 1 cup of Chawli. Potassium controls blood pressure and sustain cardiac health and helps break down carbs.

8. Heart Protection : Being rich in Thiamine, it helps maintain proper heart function.

9. Lowers Blood Pressure : Chawli is rich in the mineral Potassium which controls blood pressure and sustain cardiac health and helps break down carbs. The result is a lower risk of heart diseases. Also being rich in soluble fibre will help regulate blood sugar.

10. Relieves Insomnia : Chawli has good amounts of Tryptophan which which makes you relaxed, sleepy and calm and reduces stress levels. Ensure you have enough Vitamin B6 as it is crucial for Tryptophan formation.

Glycemic Index of cooked Chawli, Black Eyes Beans, Cowpeas

Chawli has a Glycemic Index of 38 which is low. Glycemic Index are for foods you eat, ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how quickly they digest and raise your blood sugar or glucose levels. Foods rank from 0 to 50 are low GI, 51 to 69 are medium and 70 to 100 are high. Foods that are high in GI are not suitable for weight loss and diabetics. Foods like Chawli have a low GI and hence don't spike your glucose level as they are absorbed slowly. Great for weight loss.

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What is Chawli, Black Eyed Beans, Cowpeas?

7 Ways to Use Chawli, Black Eyed Beans, Cowpeas

Nutritional Information of Chawli (Black Eyed Beans, Cowpeas)

10 Health Benefits of Chawli, Black Eyes Beans, Cowpeas

Glycemic Index of cooked Chawli, Black Eyes Beans, Cowpeas

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