Spice laden tomato(ey) sauce, gooey beans, hints of cinnamon and cardamom, steamed rice on the side and lots of fresh cilantro on top.This pretty much sums up rajma (kidney beans)-chawal(rice). Quite similar to the warming pot roast, we pretty much savor this dish every other Sunday afternoon in the house followed by a long nap which by all means is the necessary element of the brunch ritual. This north indian kidney beans curry is spicy and comforting, all of you who love beans and a side of carbohydrate (potatoes/rice) would know how addictive it can get, just few minutes into eating.
When I think something comforting - an event, a memory, food, travel or in general, any milestone of life, I want to be in that moment and think more and even more about it.These days, I seem to remember my home in India a lot. The routine of daily life back there keeps on flashing in my mind now and then.Our domestic help sitting on the floor peeling and chopping squash, talking about the other homes she works in, mum next to her and grinding fresh chilies and garlic in our decade old mortar & pestle. They discussed nuances of long power cuts- the preparations that precede it, casually chatting about unusually above normal temperatures and yet how late monsoons have been this year. In between, my mum would pour her elaichi chai with few crumbly rusks, both having a good ladies time.
While I brew my green tea on summer afternoons, my lil daughter napping, I also prepare dinner side by side, it is such a pleasant time to dig pockets of such spontaneous memories when I am all by myself in the house. It's a warm feeling - nostalgic & bitter - sweet at the same time.
When I severely miss home, it's just left to the meals to comfort us. Talk about comforting and rajma masala is my soul food. Not only because of how hearty it is but also because how uncomplicated the flavors are.Its bright and nourishing, its simple and doesnt need you to baby sit the pot. You could start with a simple masala, add the beans, let simmer and done. As a variation add vegetables (I am thinking whole baby potatoes or even few chopped greens here), why not? I personally like to serve it alongside paneer bhurji, rounding off our punjabi meal.
If you happen to taste this dish at restaurants, it comes rich and heavy, the base recipe remains similar but the final dish is finished with butter and cream. Most Indian restaurants in the west do not cook like how indians cook at home. I don’t know how this piling on of the fat started.The way rajma masala is made in rural, punjabi homes is a far cry from the overbearing use of butter and cream, it is homely and essentially what true Indian food is like. That said, stay clear of butter pool and make this kidney bean curry -  delicious, healthy & comforting!
Ingredients (Serves 3-4)
- 1 cup red kidney beans, raw (make sure the beans are not more than 6 months old, I buy my stock from Whole Foods)
- 3.5 cups water
- 2 cloves
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 tejpatta (indian bay leaf)
- ¼ heaping cumin seeds
- small twig of cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½Â tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1-2 fresh Thai green chillies, whole or slit (adjust to tolerance)
For the Sauce
- 5Â tbsp mustard or olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- 2Â garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes (slightly sour)
- 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder/cayenne (adjust quantity to tolerance)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ tsp amchoor (dry mango powder)
- ¼ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- Salt
- Chopped cilantro
Method
Cooking the beans
Note - Skip this step if using canned beans, add the whole spices listed under cooking the raw beans at the time when you make the sauce.
Soak the kidney beans in enough water overnight or for at least 8 hours. This is an important step if you are using raw beans, if not soaked enough, the recipe will not turn out well. Once the beans have swelled, drain and discard the water. Transfer the kidney beans to a pressure cooker. Add 3.5 cups water, cloves, cardamom, tejpatta, cumin, cinnamon, oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Close the lid of the cooker and pressure cook on medium heat for 2-3 whistles or till the beans are 95% cook. An easy indicator to know if the beans have cooked is that the skin starts peeling off from few of them but the shape is intact. You could cook the beans open in on stove top till tender for approximately 45-50 minutes.
Once the beans have cooked, pick up the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, tejpatta and discard. Transfer the cooked beans and stock to a bowl and mix in the ginger and whole chillies. Let sit while you make the sauce.
Making the Sauce
In the same cooking pot/pressure cooker that you boiled the beans,add the oil and heat on medium till you see ripples on the surface.If using mustard oil, you will need to heat tills it's about to smoke so that the raw smell goes away.
Reduce heat to slightly and add the finely chopped onions and garlic and cook them till golden brown. About 6-8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the tomatoes next along with chili, coriander,turmeric and amchoor powder. Cook this masala on low heat till the oil starts separating from the mix along the sides of the pan. About 10-12 minutes. If you see masala sticking to the bottom of pan, add some stock. Cook thoroughly.This slow cooking is very important to develop flavors and color of the paste, please do not rush.Allow the masala to reduce till it acquires beautiful reddish to brown color.
Add the boiled beans to the pot next along with all the stock.Check and adjust the salt. Add the garam masala & kasuri methi. Cover and let simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes.
Once the beans have simmered, removed from heat and let sit undisturbed for 2-3 hours.
Serve warm garnished with cilantro.
Enjoy & Thanks for stopping by!
Anjana @ At The Corner Of Happy & Harried
I love your writing! And the pics and recipe itself, so tempting!!
Nandita
Beautiful post as always Tanvi!!! The shot of the Rajma in the cute pail is awesome!!!
food passion and love
This looks sooo good!Shannu
Rosa Mayland
A dish for me! I'll have to try it very soon.
Gorgeous post and pictures.
Cheers,
Rosa
Joyti
The rajma sounds delicious (well, minus the cilantro, I don't like cilantro :P)
And the photographs are SO gorgeous! I love the contrast of the white plate against the dark background/curry. SOOO good!
Tanvi
Thank you Joyti
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
Sumptuous and so comforting!
Deepa
Simply awesome and mouthwatering rajma. Wonderfully prepared.
Deepa
Leena
Yummy rajma always my comfort food..
A Famished Foodie
This sounds like the perfect comfort food. It reminds me a lot of Persian gormeh sabzi, but with fewer herbs involved. Will have to try it out and compare.
Tanvi
I think all cuisines have a perfect bean recipe- just because they are so comforting! Thanks for your comment and I hope you get to make this.
MyKabulKitchen
We have a very similar dish Lubya-Challow which is just pure simple comfort food for me. I love kidney beans, and I like the arrangement of spices you have used that I never thought of like cinnamon, thanks for sharing 🙂
Tanvi
I use cinnamon a lot of time in curries, it gets such a nice warm spicy edge to them. You should try!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
i loveeee rajma curry - such a comforting dish
Josh and Beverly
I love Indian food and do not think I have ever had this. I am dying to try it out!
apsara
Hi Tanvi, I'm glad I found your blog today (through the WP dashboard). The pictures are stunning and the recipe is so well explained. Look forward to more posts as I check your old ones...
Indian Dishes
I totally love it with naan or roti...comfort food at its best...very well made....
Sahil Singh Rajpoot
I loved the pictures , the way you have taken the shots , I can say you are really good photographer,but to be honest the Rajma's didnt quite looked like what I have been cooking , looking at and eating throughout my life.Being a true punjabi , Rajma is one vegetarian dish that I worship , and so does everyone in our family and friends . We use "Jammu's Rajma" , which are the smallest form of rajmas and are dark red colour . I am pretty sure the dish you posted would have tasted good , its just the texture that I feel is missing the point, the gravy should be a lil thick and rajma should not stand completely out of the gravy , they should form integral part of gravy and also at the same should stand out a lil bit (they should be cooked to perfection i.e. once pressure cooked, they must be simmered for about half an hour so that rajmas can blend into the gravy and give a nice smooth texture to the gravy). Well that was my view, please dont take it otherwise , trust me I never wrote about anything like this before, but rajma are very close to my heart and stomach 😉 so thought why not write something.
Tanvi
Hi Sahil,
I respect and understand your emotions related to Rajma. But, at the same time, I have always stated in this blog that all recipes I share are how I and my family eats and likes them. Trust me, we eat 100% of the food that you see on the blog and I always take pictures of the complete dish. No one in my family prefers that gooey rajma (pressure cooked and then simmered for long),so over the years I stopped making it that way.I pressure cook and simmer but do not let the rajma beans break down.This recipe has a flavorful sauce and its not very thick.
However, thank you for your viewpoint, I really hope that your feedback will help everyone else looking for a softer and melting in the gravy kind of consistency and texture in the rajma masala they prepare.
anon0617
Your writing style is amazing..I visit your blog as much for the little stories that you share as for your delicious recipes:D . Nostalgic – warm and bittersweet memories indeed! It seems like I am constantly reminded of such memories from home.
Jan Scherders
Hi
I would like to try your recipe. My question is how to make a meal with Rajma ? Eat it like that, without anything else ? Or with rice ? Or maybe also with some vegetables ? I would like to know how people eat rajma at home (not at a restaurant). Thanks
Tanvi
Hi Jan,
Did you know that Rajma Chawal is a north indian staple 🙂 Pair rajma with simple steamed basmati rice. A bowl of salted yogurt (if you can add some roasted cumin powder, would be awesome) and some sliced or pickled onions will do.Tangy side like yogurt or pickled onions go well with indian bean curries. If you wish, you can have some roasted fingerling potatoes (or jeera aloo) on the side too. Sorry I have been busy and havent been able to reply to your email. I will soon.
Jan Scherders
Thank you!! Salted yoghurt .....do you mean Lassi ? Or is this very stupid of me 😉
Tanvi
I mean raita 🙂