Rajma – Indian Kidney Bean Curry
The majority of India cooks at home. We eat recipes traditional to our regional roots. But there are some Pan Indian staples that are cooked and loved across the country. राजमा चावल – Spiced Kidney Bean Curry with Cumin Rice is a dish that appears on my table at least once in two weeks.
It is usually combined with specific vegetables like Okra or Cauliflower & Peas and always served with pickled julienned onions, home made Raw Mango Pickle and a side of Papad! A good plate of Rajma Chawal is like a big warm, tight hug! It lends comfort and homeliness.
I find it important to specify the quality of beans as being paramount to the recipe! I get mine from Jammu – the best kidney beans in the world in the world come from the foothills of the Himalayas. They’re smaller in size, lighter in colour but supremely flavoursome than their cousins.
My recipe comes from a traditional Sikh 👳🏻♂️ kitchen that had me drooling over Rajma Chawal as a child and I couldn’t find that silkiness and flavor profile in any other Rajma anywhere else!
Thank you Minnie Aunty and The Punjab for my beautiful Rajma Chawal!!! It’s time to stay at home a little bit more, nourish our bodies with home cooked food and celebrate life.
We never know how short it might be!! जय हो राजमा चावल! 🎉🇮🇳😋
Ingredients
2.5 cups kidney beans soaked overnight
5 cups chopped tomatoes
2 cups chopped onions
1 tbsp julienned ginger
2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
Chopped coriander for garnish
Salt to taste
Directions
Add kidney beans, tomatoes, onions and 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker and cook for 7-8 whistles untill beans are soft and cooked.
Strain and keep aside the liquid stock separately from the beans mix.
Heat a deep pan, add ghee.
Add cumin and red chili powder, add the bean mix and cook for 5 mins stirring occasionally.
Add the liquid stock from the pressure cooker into the beans and cook untill a silky curry is made.
Add ginger and salt.
Top with freshly chopped coriander.
Serve!
