A member of the bean family, black-eyed peas are boiled gently to avoid splitting. Essectially a meal on its own, lubia is eaten with Arabic bread.
No pre-soaking is necessary and if the beans are fresh they will cook better. The dried chillies in this recipe can be adjusted to individual taste and the thickness of the dish depends on the amount of water added and is again personal preference.
Lubia usually appears on the fou-alla tray for morning and afternoon visits and it is served in individual bowls, it is generally scooped up with the bread or eaten with a spoon.

2 cups black-eyed peas
4-5 dried red chillies
8 cups water
Salt to taste

Bring water to the boil, add the peas and boil for 30-45 minutes, skimming off the scum when necessary. Add the chillies and continue boiling, adding more salt and water when necessary.
The lubia should not be too thick as the aim is to achieve a soup-like consistency.

From the book "The Complete United Arab Emirates Cookbook"
by Celia Ann Brock- Al Ansari
Copyright © 1994 by Celia Ann Brock-Al Ansari