Also called cowpea or black-eyed pea, probably because of the little black spot on the otherwise white dal, the lobia is known to have originated from West Africa, but it widely cultivated in Asia and the US. The lobia is cooked in plenty of ways in Asia and elsewhere. For instance in Vietnam, it’s used to make a dessert called Che Dau Trang where the peas are cooked with coconut milk and sticky rice. In Trinidad and Tobago it’s also used to make beans and rice. In India, it is prepared similar to how other dal preparations are made.
