Rajma Masala / Red Kidney Beans

This is one of my favorite curry. It's easy and quick recipe which goes very well with rice, phulkas, chapatis or even bread. It's a North Indian cuisine, mildly spicy and mouthwatering. Overall a delicious curry made with spices, onion and tomato.

Ingredients:

1 cup Rajma / Red kidney beans
1 large onion
1 large tomato
2 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
1 bay leaf
1 small cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon kasoori methi
pinch of asafoetida
salt to taste
oil
water
cilantro / coriander leaves

Method:

• Rinse rajma or kidney beans for a couple of times, then soak them in enough water for overnight or for 8-10 hours.
• The other day or after 8-10 hours, chop onions, tomato, ginger and garlic roughly and keep it aside.
• In a pressure cooker add the oil, once its hot add bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin seeds and asafoetida, give it a stir then add all the roughly chopped veggies and saute for 1-2 minutes
• Add around half cup of water, cover the lid and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
• Once the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid switch on the gas on low heat and mash everything with back of the spatula or hand masher.
• Once everthing is mashed, add all the dry ingredients, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala, Mix till the oil oozes out. This will take 4-5 minutes
• Now add the soaked rajma or kidney beans with water and some salt.
• Once again pressure cook everything for 8-9 whistles.
• Once the pressure settles down, open the lid and check if the beans are cooked completely.
• If the beans are cooked well, then check the gravy or curry consistency. It should not be too watery neither be too thick.
• Keep the cooker on gas range on low flame, take kasoori methi on your palm rub it and add into the curry, simmer the curry and stir in between. You can also mash few rajma with the back of the spoon to thicken the curry.
• Then add some finely chopped cliantro / coriander leaves on top and some butter (optional)

Pictorial:

Rinse and soak rajma in water for overnight or 8-10 hours.

                                             Roughly chop Onion, tomato ginger and garlic.

Place pressure cooker on flame add some oil, once it's hot add bay leaf, cinnamon, asafoetida and cumin seeds. Stir for second then add all the chopped veggies.

Saute for 2-4 seconds and add around half cup of water and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

Once the pressure settles down on its own, mash all the ingredients together with back of the spoon or masher.

Now add the dry ingredients red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder.

                                                     Mix and cook the gravy on low flame.

 Now add in the soaked rajma with water to the gravy with some salt. Pressure cook everything once again for 

8-9 whistles.

Once the pressure settles down on its own. Open the lid, give it a mix and check if the beans are cooked well. Then place the cooker on lower flame and let it simmer for minutes so that rajma absorbs all the flavors from the masala.

Lastly, rub some kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) in between your palm and add it into the curry with some finely chopped cilantro.

                                                       Rajma curry is all ready to serve.

Notes:

1. If rajma is not fully cooked add more water and pressure cook again.
2. To make sure rajma is cooked soak well or else it will take a lot of time to cook.( it also depends on the quality of the rajma)
3. If you do not have pressure cooker, you can also use pot or sauce pan but it would take more time as compared to pressure cooker.