Punjabi Rajma

RAJMA is a spiced red kidney bean curry. A Sunday kinda meal that is usually eaten with rice and some raita. Red kidney beans are soaked in water and get hydrated overnight, then cooked in pressure cooker until soft. They’re then braised with onions, garlic, ginger lots of tomatoes and spices to create one of my favorite vegetarian bean dishes. It makes a perfect pair to plain basmati rice and some raita for a very satisfying meal. Kidney beans are high in plant protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, provide high quality complex carbs to provide plenty of sustained energy. When beans are cooked from scratch, ideally soaked overnight and cooked it reduces the discomfort normally associated with eating beans. Indian cooking, specifically Ayurveda prescribes using spices packed with enzymes help breakdown discomfort causing elements in beans. Spices like cumin, asafetida, fennel, ginger are powerful herbs and spices that do the job and are added to practically every bean curry. In other words spices are not just flavoring agents but have lots of medicinal value.

There are a good amount of ingredients for this recipe, but many of them are pantry staples. It’s all about cooking the ingredients in layers, allowing the flavors to slowly develop and build on each other.

Starting with a base of sizzling aromatic spices and fragrant seeds, followed by softening onions, garlic and ginger cooked in oil, and then the tomatoes. Bold warming ground spices – bright Kashmiri chilli(mild paprika), ground coriander, hot red pepper – add a punch of flavor, while tomato paste brings rich savory, umami sweetness into the mix.

Everything simmers away with finishing garam masala for extra aroma.

The kidney beans can be cooked from scratch as its traditionally done in India. The dried beans are soaked overnight and cooked the next day in a pressure cooker. This step can be skipped by using couple of cans of good quality organic kidney beans. Simply drain, rinse and use. The advantage is big saving on time, the disadvantage a slight compromise in texture in my opinion. But its very slight only because I grew up eating freshly cooked beans. But I think either ways you should give the recipe a try.

There are a couple of spices which may not be a pantry staple like black cardamom and whole cloves. They’re are optional if you use Garam Masala which is easily available in most grocery stores these days.

RAJMA~ INDIAN STYLE RED KIDNEY BEANS AND RICE

Meera

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Soaking Time 12 hours hrs

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 6

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker or Instapot if cooking from scratch

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup dried red or pink kidney beans or 2 (14 0z) cans organic kidney beans, drained and rinsed Soaked overnight if cooking from scratch
• 2 tbsp olive, grape seed or avocado oil, or any neutral oil will do
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3-4 medium  cloves garlic minced, about 1 heaped teaspoon
• 1½ inch piece fresh ginger finely chopped
• 3 large  tomatoes chopped or 1(14 oz) can plain peeled tomatoes
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1-1½ tsp hot or cayenne chilli powder  use less for milk or more for hot
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or mild unsmoked paprika
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• ¾ tsp kosher salt
• 3 turns of black pepper

Spices

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 whole black cardamom optional,
• 2 whole cloves optional
• ½ inch cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

 

• Cook the beans as suggested in the notes.
• In a large sauce pan, warm the oil add cumin, fennel seeds, cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon black cardamom and allow them to sizzle for a few seconds, but not browned. Then add chopped onions and cook until soft, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and cook till fragrant. About 3 minutes on medium-low heat.
• Next add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste chilli powder, paprika, coriander powder and salt. Stir, saute to cook for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until tomatoes reduce and oil starts to separate from the mass. Add the cooked beans, garam masala and mix well. 
• Add upto ½ cup water if needed, it should be a thick soup like consistency to eat with rice. (see pictures) Bring the curry to a boil and lower to simmer for another 7-8 minutes. Check to taste the balance and season if needed.
• Garnish with cilantro. And serve with rice or Indian breads of your choice, raita and chopped salad.

Notes

• Dried red or pink kidney beans should be soaked overnight and cooked with 1 bay leaf in a pressure cooker or Instapot with water till soft or in a large stock pot with 6-7 cups of water simmered for 40-45 minutes till soft).
• **See Pressure Cooker or Instapot for instructions to cook kidney beans. Cooking time of beans vary for different brands and age of the beans. Please check for doneness frequently. We are looking for soft beans like canned beans.
• It is difficult to decree a definitive set of instructions for cooking beans. I find using good quality canned beans very convenient to save time and achieve similar results. Simply rinse the canned beans, drain and use. 

Keyword beans, curry, Masala, vegan dinner, vegetarian

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