Black eyed peas on oshifima

Ingredients
4 cups fresh black-eyed peas
1 teaspoon salt
1 chili pepper, crushed, or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1¼ cups white cornmeal
1 cup milk
Preparation
Soak fresh peas (used canned peas if you cannot find fresh) in cold water for about five minutes to soften. Using both hands, rub and gently squeeze the peas as they continue to soak. This process will gradually loosen the skins, which will float to the top. Skim and discard the skins.
Drain and rinse the peas, add salt and hot pepper and cover with clean water. Boil until tender. Serve, along with the cooking water over oshifima or another stiff porridge.
If you like, you can cook greens, such as spinach and perhaps serve some sliced bananas with peanuts to have a complete meal.
To make the oshifima:
Heat a cup of water to boiling in a medium-sized saucepan. Meanwhile, in a bowl gradually add ¾ cup of the cornmeal to the milk, stirring briskly to make a smooth paste.
Add this mixture to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Cook for 4 or 5 minutes while adding the remaining cornmeal. When mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pot and stick together, remove from heat.
Dump oshifima into a lightly greased bowl. With damp hands, shape it into a smooth ball, turning in the bowl to help smooth it. Serve immediately.
In Namibia, oshifima could also be prepared with cassava. You can make this with water instead of milk, or you can try substituting equal parts tapioca flour for the corn meal.
To eat in the traditional manner, tear off a piece of oshifima and make an indentation in it with your thumb. Use this hollow to scoop up stew or sauce from a communal bowl.