Rajma Masala (Kidney Beans Curry)

Rajma masala is a saucy, tangy, and flavorful dish. Prepared with boiled red kidney beans and then cooked with onions, tomatoes, and various spices. The best thing about it is that it pairs well with all basmati rice, naan, simple roti, and even poori. The yummiest and most authentic dish that anyone can easily prepare at home, i.e., Rajma Masala.

Belongs to a north Indian family, this dish is the most popular one. I even tested this recipe enough times at home. Everyone likes it a lot. When it comes to preparing the legumes, rajma comes to mind first. There is no reason to say no to this, although favorite of all members in the family.

Rajma Masala, also known as kidney beans curry. Although the process is quite similar to the chole recipe (white chickpeas curry), the tastes are totally different. They can be found at all restaurants, but I think the homemade rajma gives another vibe because I prepare it with minimal and fresh spices.

This one-pot rajma masala dish is easy to prepare for the perfect meal of lunch and dinner. In front of relatives, a good choice to serve it. Some people find it very difficult to prepare, but I never feel that it is difficult. I enjoy all the rajma vibes from preparing to serving.

Ingredients

• Kidney beans- I used dark red kidney beans here.

• Onion & Tomato- I like to make a thick paste of onion instead of chopping them and grinding the tomatoes into puree.

• Spices- All common spices are used here: cumin seeds, bay leaf, garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric, and red chili powder. They are all enough to make the dish flavorful.

• Salt- Regular white salt and rock salt both can be used.

How to make Rajma Masala

1.Take one cup of red kidney beans in a bowl. Wash them in clean water twice or thrice, then soak them in enough water overnight.

2. When you are ready to cook the rajma, drain the water from them.

3. Now add the soaked rajma in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and 1/2 tsp of salt. Close the cooker lid and cook the rajma on medium heat till 4 to 5 whistles.

4. When the pressure comes down, naturally open the lid. Check the rajma taking in a spoon and press it with fingertips. If it is soft, then it’s perfectly cooked. If not, then cook again 1 to 2 whistles.

5. Now heat 1 tbsp of oil in a kadai with 1 tsp cumin seeds and 2 bay leaves on medium heat. Let them sizzle few seconds.

6. Add onion paste and saute it.

7. Stir it continuously so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom till light golden.

8. Pour the tomato puree and saute it until the raw smell of the tomatoes is gone.

9. Now add spices: 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp red chili powder, and 1 tsp salt.

10. Mix all the spices and saute them together into a dark and smooth paste.

11. Add the boiled rajma and 2 cups of water.

12. Mix all the ingredients well and let them cook till a thick curry. Cover the kadai with a steamer.

13. Stir in between with the spoon.

14. When the rajma is in a thick texture, again add 1/2 tsp garam masala. It takes 15-18 minutes to reach this curry texture.

15. Mix them well and turn off the flame. Now the rajma masala is ready to serve.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this rajma masala hot with plain rice, jeera rice, simple roti, naan, poori, whichever you like. I like to have it with rice, adding a lot of ghee to my rajma, which tastes delicious. You can also try adding ghee to your rajma. I’m sure you like it.

Tips

• I prefer to use dark red kidney beans for my rajma masala. If you use canned beans, it is also good. But red kidney beans taste delicious rather than canned rajma.

• Soak the rajma overnight for fast cooking. If you forget, then soak it in hot water for 2 hours. I recommend soaking them for at least 8 hours, which is necessary.

• You can also store the boiled rajma water and use it later when you cook them. This water helps give the dish a darker color.