Rajma Masala (Curried Kidney Beans) is the ultimate comfort food for most North Indians and the people of Nepal.
In India, rajma is known as rajma, rāzmā, or lal (red) lobia. A surprising fact about rajma or red kidney beans is that it was not grown in India. It was first brought to India by the Portuguese from Mexico (place of origin), but it is now a popular dish in the Indian sub-continent. Rajma-Chawal (Red Kidney Beans paired with steamed rice) is a favourite pairing for many people, and with cucumber raita (https://relishdelish.ca/recipes/cucumber-raita/), it is a favourite in our home too.
Types of Kidney Beans
There are 4 kinds of Rajma and you can make this dish with any of these:
Red kidney beans
Also known as dark red rajma, these are the most common.
Kashmiri red beans
These are slightly smaller in size than the former.
Chitra Rajma
These look very different in colour as they are white with brown speckles.
Black rajma
AKA pinto beans or black beans, these are very popular in Mexican cuisine but not in Indian cuisine.
Soaking the beans:
According to the ancient system of medicine called Ayurveda, it is believed that soaking beans and legumes before cooking increases their nutrient levels. It also aids in digestion and absorption by the body. Unlike other beans like moong (mung), pigeon peas, or red lentils, red kidney beans takes more cooking time. These beans need to soak in water for at least 6 to 7 hours before cooking.
Cooking the beans:
Discard the water and place the rajma in a pressure cooker along with 5 cups water and salt to taste. Close the lid and pressure cook for about 8 to 10 whistles. How to Make Rajma Masala
Onions and tomato (preferably Roma) puree gives this curry a thick consistency. The addition of masala spices like green chillies, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder gives this dish a delicate aroma. It is a medium spicy dish. This is a simple dish to make and is hearty and healthy. A little addition of dried fenugreek leaves gives this dish an extra flavour and authenticity.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse kidney beans and soak them in sufficient water overnight in a big bowl.
- Discard the water and place the rajma in a pressure cooker along with 5 cups water and salt to taste. Close the lid and pressure cook for about 8 to 10 whistles. Cool before opening the lid.
- Heat oil/ghee in a pan and cook finely chopped onions. When onions turn soft, add in green chillies, ginger garlic paste and a little salt to taste. Add pureed tomatoes and let it cook about 5 minutes.
- Now add in all the dry spices, chilli, turmeric, cumin and coriander powder. The spices (masala) should come to a paste like consistency. Add in the contents of the pressure cooker into the pan and mix well. Add in a little water only if necessary,
- Add in the garam masala and ginger juliennes along with half of the chopped cilantro. Let the rajma masala simmer on low flame for about 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with rest of the cilantro and serve with rice and cucumber raita.
- INSTANT POT METHOD: Plug in the IP and set it on saute mode. heat oil and then add in onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Mix well and saute for 5 minutes. Now add in the dry spices, chilli, coriander, cumin and garam masala. Mix and add in soaked rajma, along with 5 cups of water. (Unlike normal method, there is no need to soak beans overnight but it is recommended to soak for at least a couple of hours as soaking beans and legumes aids digestion) Add in finely chopped tomatoes and switch off saute mode by pressing the cancel button. Now close the IP lid and press Pressure Cook/Manual on high for 20 minutes, making sure the pressure valve is set to seal.Once done, either release pressure by Quick release or own its own and carefully open the Instant Pot lid. Add in the dried fenugreek leaves and finely chopped cilantro and mix well.