Karamani, lobia in Hindi, is cowpea, a drought-tolerant bean domesticated in West Africa. The species includes black-eyed peas, red cowpeas and the yardlong bean, which Kerala calls achinga payar and Tamil Nadu thatta payaru. Dried karamani is cooked into kuzhambu and sundal, and lobia masala is a North Indian favourite. It grows in heat and poor soil where many other beans fail.
- Botanical name
- Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Tamil
- Karamani
- Hindi
- Lobia
- Sanskrit
- Rājamāṣa
- Parts used
- Seed, Young pods
- Habit
- Cowpea; includes black-eyed peas and yardlong beans
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Karamani
It may be a bushy, trailing or climbing annual, with smooth stems.
The leaves have three leaflets, the middle one often shaped like a spearhead.
Pale purple, white or yellowish pea-flowers grow in pairs at the tips of long stalks.
The pods are long and slender; yardlong bean pods can reach half a metre or more.
The seeds are kidney-shaped, often cream with a black eye, or red or brown.
Traditional use of Karamani
Kitchen
Karamani is cooked into tamarind kuzhambu or boiled with coconut as sundal for festivals in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil food practice
Kitchen
Yardlong bean pods are cut and cooked into thoran and mezhukkupuratti in Kerala.
Kerala food practice
Kitchen
In West Africa cowpeas are ground into akara fritters and moin moin.
West African food practice
Modern notes on Karamani
Cowpea is one of the most drought-tolerant pulses and a key food crop in the African Sahel.
The seeds are rich in protein, fibre and folate.
Raw beans contain lectins and enzyme inhibitors destroyed by cooking.
Karamani safety
Cook dried cowpeas fully. Soaking first shortens cooking and reduces gas.
Ecology and sourcing
Its wild ancestor grows across sub-Saharan Africa.
It fixes nitrogen and is often grown between rows of cereals.
Large bees pollinate the flowers, though it is mostly self-fertile.
Related plants
Also in Fabaceae
Questions about Karamani
Is lobia the same as karamani?
Yes. Both are cowpea.
Is yardlong bean the same species?
Yes, a long-podded form of cowpea.
Where did cowpea come from?
West Africa.
Does Karamani need soaking?
Soaking helps but is not essential.
Are black-eyed peas cowpeas?
Yes.
Sources
- Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q498940 (Vigna unguiculata)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.