If you are from the north of India, rajma-chawal is soul food! I had this dish in Bangalore for the first time and fell in love with it! It is a mildly spiced curry in which the red kidney beans are cooked and simmered. Hot rajma over chawal is pure bliss! Here is an easy recipe for you to enjoy this high protein meal!
What you will need:
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Aamchur Powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Cardamom Powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Jeera Powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Kashmiri Chili Powder | 1 1/2 teaspoon |
| Kasuri Methi | 2 tablespoons |
| Oil | 2 tablespoons |
| Onion | 1 cup |
| Rajma | 450 g canned or 1/2 cup if using dry |
| Salt | 3/4 teaspoon |
| Tomato Paste | 2 tablespoons |
| Turmeric | 1/2 teaspoon |
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serving: 4
How to make it:
- You can either use canned red kidney beans or dehydrated beans for this recipe.
- If you are using canned beans, make sure it is low sodium. Rinse the beans thoroughly under water to wash away all the stickiness and extra salt.
- If you plan on using dehydrated beans, soak them overnight in water. Next morning pressure cook with 2 1/2 cups of water and keep aside. Ensure that they are soft and mushy.
- To make the onion paste: Heat 1 tablespoons of oil. Sauté a und 1 cup of onion until it is translucent. Let the mixture cool. Blend in a mixer to form a paste.
- Tip: I like to make onion paste ahead of time and it helps with making many gravies without consuming much time. This paste remains fresh when stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Try not to use water to blend the paste to make it last longer. It is perfect if you are a busy working professional like me.
- Now heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a kadai. Add the onion paste and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and sauté for another 5 minutes.
- Add the spices like turmeric, cardamom powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri chili powder and aamchur powder. Saute for 30 sec to roast the spices.
- Add the rajma and salt. Adjust the salt per your taste. You might need more salt if you decide to make the rajma at home vs using a canned rajma beans. The proportion given above is for canned low sodium rajma beans.
- Mix everything well.
- You can adjust the consistency of the mixture per your liking by adding less or more water. If making rajma at home, add the water left over from boiling the rajma.
- Turn the flame to a simmer and let the masala mix well with the rajma. Stir occasionally.
- Once the mixture comes to a boil, add Kasuri methi.
- Cover the rajma and let the gravy boil for another 5 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped green chilies and chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve with warm basmati rice.