Coconut-Curried Black-Eyed Peas

From the archipelago nation of Comoros, situated in the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar and once an important location in trade routes between Africa and Asia, ambrevades au curry, or curried pigeon pea, is a dish of many influences. But it also showcases essential ingredients in Comoran cooking: coconut and spices. The rich, aromatic, vegetarian curry was our starting point for this quick and simple recipe, but we opted to use black-eyed peas; you can, of course, use pigeon peas, though they may be a little harder to find (look for them in stores that offer Caribbean ingredients). To be efficient, prep the last two ingredients—the lemon juice and cilantro—while the curry simmers. Serve with rice or warm flatbread.