| Prev Recipe | | | All Recipes.. | | | Next Recipe |
| Tweet |
Rajma-Chawal is a combination ‘to-die-for’…the best Rajma (Kidney Beans) and Chawal (Rice) can be had at the obscure dhabbas* alongside the highways all over North India. That is where the truck drivers eat and trust me…that is the second best (ofcourse, right after our recipe!). Now which Punjabi (people from the state of Punjab) household will not admit to it being a comfort food. Try with some Raita or just plain yogurt…
Ingredients:
Kidney Beans – 1 cup
Water – 4 cups
Salt – to taste
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Green Chili – to taste (optional)
Oil – 2 tbsp
Onions – 2 medium, finely chopped
Ginger – 1 tsp, minced
Garlic – 1 tsp, minced
Tomatoes – 2 cups, puree
Salt – to taste
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Chaat Masala – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Cilantro – for garnishing, finely chopped
Method:
1. Wash and soak the Kidney Beans in 4 cups of water overnight.
2. Put the Rajma in a pressure cooker, alongwith the water that you soaked it in.
3. Turn the flame on high and add in the Turmeric Powder, Some Salt and Green Chili.
4. Cooking time in the Pressure Cooker – 3 whistles, lower flame and cook for another 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a medium size pan on medium heat, add in the Oil.
6. Allow it to heat up and add in the Onions.
7. Add in a little Salt and cook till the moisture evaporates from the Onions. Stir frequently.
8. Add in the Ginger and Garlic, mix well and cook till the Onions start to brown.
9. Add in the Tomato Puree. Mix again.
10.Cook till the oil starts to seperate. Keep an eye on it and keep stirring frequently.
11.Add in Coriander Powder, Chaat Masala & Garam Masala.
12.Add in a little water (about 1/4 cup) to help mix in the dry spices and to prevent it from burning.
13.Cook for a couple of minutes.
14.Open the Pressure Cooker once the pressure has gone and add in the Rajma to the masala.
15. Make sure Rajma (kidney beans) is well cooked and should have opened up a bit.
16. Mix well and allow it to come to a boil again.
17. Add in some of the fresh Cilantro leaves and keep some for garnishing.
18. Serve over hot rice on a lazy sunday afternoon. Serves 4.
Tips:
Some key points to making it a succesful Rajma experience-
-soak rajma overnight
-every cooker is different, so know your cooker. If it did not cook well, put the lid back on and cook it some more.
-believe it or not altitude makes a difference in cooking time.
-if you wat a smooth curry/gravy, just blend the onions and tomatoes very well (we love texture in the food so…)
*dhabba – no-frills, authentic food joint
| Prev Recipe | | | All Recipes.. | | | Next Recipe |
| Pin It | Tweet |
|
![]() Stay informed |
Similar Recipes:
- Lima Beans Curry
Many people consider Lima Beans (also known as butter beans) boring, but here’s a way to make Lima Beans Curry that will spruce up this usually ignored vegetable. When...
- Chole – Garbanzo Beans Curry
This recipe for Chole is one of the easiest I’ve used. It doesn’t require the standard Punjabi masala…so, no more frying onions and tomatoes. Enjoy! Ingredients:...
- Lima Beans Curry How-to Video
Lima Beans are often an overlooked vegetable which are surprisingly packed with protein and cholesterol reducing fiber. Try this delicious recipe for Indian Lima Beans...
- Chole a la Easy – Garbanzo Beans Curry How-to Video
Chole is a popular Indian curry dish made with Garbanzo Beans (Kabuli Chana) which is a great protein source for vegetarians. It can be enjoyed...
- Green Beans with Shredded Coconut
This is a South Indian style of making beans, the green of the beans contrast with the white of the shredded coconut…very tasty, fresh-looking and easy,...




Youtube
Facebook
Twitter
Orkut
February 21st, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Very nice. To make it rich and thick, take some of the cooked rajma and thick cream and beat it and pour it
[Reply]
April 6th, 2008 at 5:33 am
thank u for this wonderful dish rajma…..it made my sunday dishes special
[Reply]
June 12th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
hey:
great website.
how about if you use the canned red kidney beans? will it work?
overall, wonderful delicious recipes….yum yum yum
rizwana says…keep it up
[Reply]
Anonymous Reply:
February 10th, 2012 at 5:07 pm
Sure it should work!
[Reply]
June 15th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Hi Rizwana,
In a time crunch, you could use canned kidney beans. The biggest difference you will notice is in the gravy. You have to rinse the canned kidney beans to remove the starcy sauce that they come in. Therefore, you will not have the nice gravy as if you pressure cooked them with water. To make gravy, you will need to add water and that will dilute the flavor as well as the consistency of the gravy.
Also, some people swear that there is some “funny” smell and flavor in the canned beans.
[Reply]
June 30th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
hi there u forgot to add cumin powder
[Reply]
July 24th, 2008 at 2:44 am
hi what is chaat masala, and where can i buy. thank you
[Reply]
July 24th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
Hi Francine,
Chat/Chaat Masala is a combination of various spices. It can be bought at Indian/South Asian grocery stores or at whole food/health/organic stores. And just FYI, it is a spice that does not need to be cooked. Needless to say, one of my favorites! Enjoy!
[Reply]
October 30th, 2008 at 4:35 am
what if i don’t have a pressure cooker? and don’t want to use the canned ones?? can i just cook it in a normal pot?
[Reply]
November 4th, 2008 at 12:29 am
i guess u have forgotten the cumin powder….!! wen to add that? is it along with the dry masalas???
[Reply]
November 4th, 2008 at 3:25 am
Fiona & Priya:
Sorry, we did forget to add the Cumin powder! It does go in along with the Coriander Powder!
Kiki:
You can make it in a regular pot/pan or even use a slow cooker. Make sure you soak the beans overnight! Very important.
Also, fresh tomatoes are the best way to go.
[Reply]
November 12th, 2008 at 12:14 am
Wow, ladies, this is THE best Rajma recipe I ever tasted. I have tried quiet a few, and this is a keeper! I love the videos, it helps so much… Can’t wait to try more of your dishes
[Reply]
December 6th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I have been following different Rajma recipes online and this has been the best so far. Thanks to “Show my the curry” team.
[Reply]
January 27th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Hi Ladies,
Can you add Coconut Milk Powder? I have been told to add this as well?
Great Recipe!
[Reply]
January 28th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Hi Sachin,
Wow, I’ve never had rajma with coconut milk! But, as a coconut lover, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t be able to add it in. Sounds delicious! Let us know how it comes out if you decide to try it.
[Reply]
March 15th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Hi Ladies! Hope your weekend was a good one. I made this today (took a short cut and used canned kidney beans) and it was delicious! Thanks so much for sharing your videos and recipes,
Kathy
[Reply]
April 19th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
You two have become a part of my menu planning committee. I just made the Rajma and I must say it is the closest to my liking. Great recipe. I did cheat and use canned beans but rinsed it very well.
Thanks!
[Reply]
April 28th, 2009 at 3:27 am
hi ladies,
today i made Rajma curry, it was yummmmmmmm……. its tooo delicious !!!!!! but i also added a lill red chilly powder …… thanx for showing such great recipes !
can you please show how to make chicken sizzler ??????i would be obliged !!!!
thank you
waiting for your reply !!!!
- jaina
[Reply]
May 28th, 2009 at 7:47 pm
I just made and ate some Rajma. I never had this dish before. It was absolutely delicious. I think next time I make it I will put 1 1/2 cups of puree instead of 2 cups because of a slight tomato taste. I love the videos. Thank you Hatel and Anuja!!
[Reply]
May 29th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Next day….sorry for two posts in a row but I just had some Rajma for lunch, today, and it has so much improved from sitting overnight in frig. The tomato taste is gone and it is absolutley delicious with not one thing I would want to change.
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
June 9th, 2009 at 2:41 am
Indian curries seem to taste mush better the next day as the spices seep in and have a longer time to infuse together.
Glad you enjoyed the Rajma…a fav in my household:)
[Reply]
July 27th, 2009 at 3:14 am
hi
its very urgent actually, i soaked rajmah 10′o clock in the morning now its 1′o clock afternoon, i jst peep to them, few of them hv actually open up,and others are like wrinkled?? i dnt know, wht to do now? i soaked them for the dinner actually. plz tell me should i pressure cook them now or should i wait till evening?? plz its urgent! i hope u’ll reply now. i need to know.
[Reply]
July 27th, 2009 at 3:48 am
plz plz plz reply soon.
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
July 27th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Hi Noor,
If they are wrinkled, they are still on their way to getting soaked (they need to be plump and then they are ready). A good rule of thumb for beans such as rajma and channas is about 8 hours (overnight). We would suggest you wait for a little while.
If you do not have any time, use this Quick Soak beans tip:
http://showmethecurry.com/tips/quick-soak-beans-tip.html
Hope that helps!
[Reply]
July 29th, 2009 at 2:09 am
thanx anuja, realy many many thanx to you. my rajmah is fabulous, yummmmm………..
thanx once again, i dnt ‘ve words to explain.
but one thing i hope u’ll soon reply to my other queries too- related malai kofta and gulab jamun???
[Reply]
November 12th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Hi Anuja & Hetal,
I tried this recipe today & it came out well. Enjoyed it with rice, yet to enjoy it with Roti tonight
I have noticed you ladies do not use a lot of ginger garlic paste. Any special reason or is it just the flavor?
Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Regards,
Swetha
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 4:22 am
Hi Swetha,
We are not big fans of the store bought ginger/garlic paste. We feel that it somehow has some strange background flavor. Also, when you add it to hot oil, it splutters all over the place.
[Reply]
Swetha Reply:
November 14th, 2009 at 4:27 am
I thought so…
Thanks Hetal!
[Reply]
November 15th, 2009 at 5:12 am
Hi Hetal and Anuja I am an italian that loves indian food and you girls are two angels sent from heaven to teach me all about indianfood.I can’t get enough of your recipes. I have always wanted to try rajma and now thanks to your instructions it’s goin to be so easy. One question , what kind of oil you use for all your recipes?
Thank you, ciao from Giusy.
[Reply]
December 3rd, 2009 at 5:08 am
Nice!
Turned out perfect.
Thanks!
[Reply]
January 13th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
Hi girls,
I tried this recipe today. It came out very well.
When you give measurement for the ingradients, instead of saying 1 mediam onion , would you give the measurment in cups…like 1 cup minced/dices onion?
This helps us a lot to reproduce the same result that we saw in your video.
Thank you
[Reply]
January 16th, 2010 at 8:16 am
Bought myself a pressure cooker yesterday, and made a wonderful Rajma Curry using your recipe. Despite being my first attempt, it turned out really well, and was very tasty along with the steamed rice.
Looking forward to trying out a selection of other dishes. Thanks alot for your great website and practical recipes.
Nathaniel Stockley
(Melbourne, Australia)
[Reply]
February 8th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Hi Hetal and Anuja. I am curious to know why you decided to use the pre-soaking water to cook the rajma in? It is recommended by many sources that once the beans are soaked, one should rinse and use fresh water to cook. This helps prevent flatulence. Now this may not be a concern with cultures that grew up eating dried beans.
Another matter which is controversial is not to add salt until beans are soft, otherwise they are tough and take longer to cook. Personally, I have added salt at the beginning and have not noticed any difference.
My recipe is very similar to yours but in my family we add 1/2 tsp of ajwain to oil, let it sputter and then add onion. I had never thought of adding chaat masala before. Nice twist. Great job ladies!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
February 10th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Hi Keerti,
In our families, we always used the soaking water because a lot of flavor is in the water. However over time, we have learned what you have mentioned about preventing flatulence. You are right, it is probably better to remove the soaking water and add fresh water to cook the beans.
We have also heard the controversy over pre-salting and post-salting beans. This may be an issue if you are cooking beans in a pot, but if you are using a pressure cooker to cook beans, adding the salt beforehand does not really affect the cooking time. For the larger beans (Kidney, Garbanzo, etc), adding the salt beforehand really improves the flavor as the salt has a chance to go all the way inside.
[Reply]
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:22 pm
I was making Rajma and decided to see your version. I first make the masala and then put everything into the pressure cooker add the water and cook eveything together at one time. I let the pressure on for 10 mins let the steam go and then open and simmer if needed. I feel the beans soak the spices and salt better this way. Besides, my punjabi mom in law taught it to me this way
). Try the same method for chole and blackeye peas. Also try dried black beans for a change, it is quite nice.
[Reply]
March 26th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
hiya!!! amazing recipe girls!!!! have tried it on a few occations n its so easy! last time i cooked it i added half a tin of sweetcorn. it turned out to be a really nice addition. xxxx
ps i wish i had aunts like you
[Reply]
April 15th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
HOW DO YOU PREPARE CHAAT MASALA?
[Reply]
April 22nd, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Are chat masala and Tandoori Masala same ? Can I substitute tandoori masala for chat masala to prepare rajma as I have it in my pantry?
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Hi Pvithra,
Chat Masala and Tandoori Masala are different
You can add some of the tandoori masala, it will not substitute the chaat masala flavor but won’t taste bad either.
[Reply]
Pavithra Reply:
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:10 pm
Thanks Anuja- Can you tell me few dish names where Tandoori masala is main ingredient?
[Reply]
April 23rd, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Hi Hetal & Anuja
I did cook Rajma yesterday as per your recipe. I did not know when to add the ginger garlic paste – My onions always seemed moist – how to know that onions are done ? And my onions never turned brown after adding ginger and garlic? And over all my content was really wet and not as dry as yours ? I think I added a lot of oil when I started ? Would it have been the mistake? Your content really was dry even after adding tomato puree – How is that? And how to prepare tomato puree at home? Can you say the difference between tomato puree and tomato paste ? And was it Jalapeno green chilli that you used when boiling rajma? OOh a lot of questions – I just wish I get the same rajma as yours the next time…. Thanks a lot for your help.
[Reply]
April 30th, 2010 at 7:06 am
[...] I invited myself up to her house for dinner and was a bit surprised to find that the entree was kidney bean curry. I was certainly willing to give it a try but was prepared to withhold my kudos . . . until the [...]
May 6th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Hello Ladies,
I need a confirmation about tomato puree : is it tomato paste (concentrated tomatoe ?) & how do you make tomato puree.
Thanks beforehands for the clarification
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
May 7th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Hi Roz,
Tomato paste is really thick and concentrated. Tomato puree is blanched, peeled tomatoes that have been deseeded and pureed. To make puree, mark an “X” lightly with a knife at the bottom of the tomatoes. Place them in boiling water (stove off) for 5 minutes. Remove them and place them in a bowl with ice water. The “X” will help you remove the peel easily. Cut them in half and remove the seeds. Grind.
[Reply]
July 9th, 2010 at 8:17 am
Hi,
I was previously working in Kuwait, and i do HAVE Indian Nationality Friends from GOA-INDIA(HAVE i MISPELLED THE PLACE? i WAS really enjoying the recipes he made, but for DAALS and Kidney beans, I haven;t tasted them yet. My question is this; If i will eat daals(lentils) and kidney beans,do they not cause to trigger my gouty arthritis? are they high in purines? I am evading or staying away from those veges because i do not know if they are high in purines. I can not eat meat of any kind because of purines (PURINES ARE URIC ACID FORMING FOODS) issue, so i resorted to always eating vegetables since 8 years ago. Please do help me for the research, I want to eat the featured daals(lentils) and kidney beans recipes. Looking forward for the very kind advice, Thank you very much and more power to your cooking site.
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
July 12th, 2010 at 11:49 pm
Hi Edgardo,
Much as we’d like to help you, we do have to say that we are not aware of this and are not qualified to give you the right answer. We strongly suggest that you consult with a nutritionist or check with your doctor.
Regards!
[Reply]
Shobana Reply:
October 29th, 2012 at 4:59 am
How do you generally mince ginger and garlic
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
October 29th, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Hi Shobana,
If it is a small amount, we just use a sharp knife. For larger quantities, we use a wet spice grinder.
val Reply:
March 20th, 2013 at 4:30 am
Hi Edgardo,
I have heard my mom mentioned that asparagus has uric acid. I don’t know much about this topic, but in trying to understand, I came across this link which seems quite informative on purine levels in various foods. I can’t vouch for the accuracy but hopefully it can give you some ideas. I have a couple delicious vegetarian recipes on my channel if you would like to check it out. Good luck!
val
http://www.youtube.com/etriliun
[Reply]
July 15th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
hi Hetal & Anuja,
I really enjoy all the recipes that u present.
I want to know the method of making rajma without onions.
I have eaten rajma without onions,usually in temples.
So i wonder if u can get me that recipe.
Cheers
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Hi Rohini,
Here is one simple way of doing it, you can omit the onions altogether and the tomatoes become the base of the curry. Cook them down till the oil separates and carry on with the rest of the procedure.
[Reply]
July 21st, 2010 at 10:54 pm
I wanted to make rajma in my slow cooker….I am guessing I don’t need to soak the rajma overnight as they will cook in the slow cooker. Can you please give me more guidance in how to make them in a slow cooker? I know I would make the masala in another pan but when do I add it to the rajma in the slow coooker and how long do I cook it after I have added the masala on the slow cooker?
[Reply]
K Reply:
September 15th, 2012 at 2:46 pm
I have to soak my dry beans overnight before placing them in the slow cooker. I prefer the pressure cooker to the slow cooker for bean dishes because I can see right away if it is soft enough and then it is quick to fix the problem. But I like my slow cooker very much for meat dishes and soups that don’t have beans.
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
September 17th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Hi K,
Yes, pressure cookers are very convenient and big time savers. Just a note…kidney beans should not be cooked in a slow cooker as they require a certain amount of high heat cooking to eliminate some toxins that are present. You can always add precooked kidney beans to a slow cooker.
[Reply]
July 25th, 2010 at 5:17 am
it is a very helthy dish and very popular dish
[Reply]
September 23rd, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Hello ladies,
Quick question for ya…Do you use canned pureed tomatoes or did you blend fresh tomatoes?
Thank you!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
September 24th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
Hi Shail,
You can use either…we use what we have on hand. As a rule, you can use canned tomatoes when you want the color of your curry to be very red and intense. In the case of Rajma, they are already pretty red so canned is not necessary but optional.
[Reply]
Shail Reply:
September 28th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Thank you!
[Reply]
September 29th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Hi again, I am sorry Ihave one more question! I am planning on doubling this recipe, should I just double all the ingredients or do the spices require a certain amount of increase?
Thank you for patiently answering all questions!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
September 29th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Hi Shail,
You can double everything however, we suggest that you reduce the amount of water to 5-6 cups while pressure cooking the kidney beans (unless you have a very large pressure cooker). You can always add in more water later.
[Reply]
Shail Reply:
September 30th, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Thank you ladies! Awesome recipe! It turned out very delicious and is very fragrant!
Your website is a true mecca for great recipes!
[Reply]
November 4th, 2010 at 5:29 am
I saw Rajma recipe on another site and started cooking with a few additions and deletions. Had not much time to check ur version.Towards the end,I found something missing and thought of adding some chaat masala(had seen it for some other recipe on ur site).Turned out great and then I saw ur rajma recipe-same thing…ur recipe must be only one which mentions chaat masala yet that provides such a great punch to taste..great recipe.Thank u
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
November 4th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Glad you enjoyed the chaat masala in the Rajma Sandhya. You’re right, it does add that punch at the end!
[Reply]
January 6th, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja
I made this yesterday and it was very very tasty i added little bit of fresh oregano. It went very well with Naan. My husband said it taste like vegetarian chilli
God bless
Latha
North Bay
[Reply]
January 6th, 2011 at 8:50 pm
Hi ladies,
Just started visiting your website and your videos. Thankyou so much for the wealth of recipes and knowledge.
I have a question that applies to all the dishes you have shown with a pressure cooker. You call for “x” no. of whistles. Would this not be specific for the pressure cooker you are using and be different for different brands? Would a cooking time be more helpful. Appreciate your response as it would directly impact the recipe.
Thanks!
Rashmi
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
January 7th, 2011 at 12:34 am
Hi Rashmi,
Between the 2 of us, we must have around 8 pressure cookers, all different brands. We have noticed that the number of whistles stay the same for all similar sized cookers. We do have a large cooker that does not have separate whistles but whistles continuously. In that, we count one minute per whistle. Though many American pressure cookers note the amount of pressure in pounds, Indian cookers do not — so its hard to say.
[Reply]
February 1st, 2011 at 9:54 pm
I added 1 Table spoon of garam masala instead of 1 tsp…my rajma is cooking now but my taste test reveals a slight bitterness …can u tell me which masala overdose has caused this?
[Reply]
February 8th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
its realygreat…its very easy and i have impresed my parents through this…
[Reply]
anuja Reply:
February 9th, 2011 at 10:29 pm
Hi Nimisha,
Good to know and glad it came out well
[Reply]
May 9th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Hi Ladies,
I would like to make this recipe in a slow cooker. Do I need to adjust the amount of water? and if so.. how much do I need to decrease or increase it by?
Thanks… and love ur show!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
May 9th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
Hi Annie,
Sorry, we have not tried cooking kidney beans in a crock pot because there is some risk of toxins present.
[Reply]
June 8th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
Ladies, THANK YOU!
Im a young australian married to an indian man and since I discovered your website along with purchasing a pressure cooker, you have changed my life!
My cooking self esteem has improved 100% and i now have the confidence to try new recipes and no longer cook from packets.
I cannot THANKYOU enough!!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
June 16th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Hi Jessica,
Thanks so much for the feedback! We’re always thrilled to hear success stories
.
[Reply]
June 11th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
I think it’s a very simple recipe, mostly meant for novice cooks and non-Indians. I say this when I think that the simplest food is usually the most comforting and wholesome but in this case, being a Punjabi myself, I think your omission of khada garam masala is an egregious mistake taking away from the meaty flavour of Rajma. Also, Chat Masala should only be used right at the end rather than being put through the heat of intense cooking. Too basic a recipe and not any innovation in it to make it yours at all. You two make good business women though.
[Reply]
July 13th, 2011 at 9:53 am
Hi H&A,
I was going through your recipe and found it to be almost identical to the one my mother-in-law handed to me (I swear by it). I had one question though – I have heard of people adding fresh cream to Rajma to make the gravy nice and thick. Would you recommend it? If you do then I’d definitely want to try it out. And please mention how much quantity would be appropriate. Thanks a bunch!
P.S. Hope you guys are having a great summer with your families!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
July 13th, 2011 at 2:45 pm
Hi Mashhuda,
Yes, you can definitely add cream to rajma. It will make the texture rice and creamy. The amount really depends on you and how creamy you like them to be. Add a little at a time and taste until you get it perfect. You will have to add it as a final step and then just heat through – do not boil.
[Reply]
August 25th, 2011 at 8:17 am
Hi Anuja and Hetal..
Am so happy am learning cooking thru your website.
my husband is very happy and delighted with my cooking..
I was watching this recipe of kidney beans.. how long should it soak ??? 5 hours or 6 hour what is the specific duration. because if i soak in the morning will it be fine ??
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
August 30th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Hi Caroline,
The larger beans like kidney or garbanzo takes approximately 6-8 hours of soaking time (longer is okay too, it will not spoil them).
[Reply]
August 25th, 2011 at 8:22 am
Hi Anuja and Hetal
Am married and residing in Ireland with my husband.. so some items are not available, so guide me is there anything alternative masala can we include or exclude??? because am a new learner i keep getting confused.. any video pls give alternative..as i said before am learning cooking by watching only ur site..
thanks a million
to both of u…
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
August 30th, 2011 at 1:45 pm
Hi Caroline,
The basic masalas are turmeric, coriander and cumin powders. Garam masala can be substituted with whole cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom (can grind at home). Chaat masala has a lot of different salts and spices so it will be hard to substitute. You can try black salt (if you find it) or dry mango powder (amchur).
[Reply]
September 29th, 2011 at 8:11 pm
Yummy …tasted the best I ever had! Only one thing by mistake I added the tinned Rajma directly including the water from the tin and did not rinse the beans. The curry looked and tasted good….so I ate this. It is now 2 days and no side effects. Is it bad? Since the texture of the curry turned out nice and thick and creamy I wanted to ask why throw the water from the tin and rinse too? Another thing for pureed tomato I took a shortcut – just grinded 3 tomato with water. On whole it was just …WOW!!
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
October 3rd, 2011 at 2:54 pm
Hi Sarika,
Glad you enjoyed the Rajma. The liquid in the canned kidney beans isn’t necessarily bad for you but it makes the texture a bit gooey. Also, some people believe that the liquid is gassy.
[Reply]
October 6th, 2011 at 7:40 pm
How many servings is this recipe for?
[Reply]
Tejal Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
sorry just realized the last step indicates the serving
[Reply]
October 29th, 2011 at 2:25 am
Hetal and Anuja,
I’m Cajun. Having tried this recipe a while back I think I like Rajma Chawal even more than Cajun Red Beans and Rice!! My pressure cooker is aluminum, doesn’t whistle, and apparently the last time I moved I hid it from myself. I ended up using a crock pot for most of the cooking. The Rajma took about four hours on high. I ordered a pressure cooker today that looks just like the one in this video, except the pressure release valve is all stainless. I’m looking forward to giving it a workout with many of your recipes.
[Reply]
Kevin Reply:
October 29th, 2011 at 3:58 am
Speaking of pressure cookers, I forgot to ask a question in my initial post. While searching for info on whistling pressure cookers on the ‘net I came across a site that said one isn’t supposed to count the first whistle. But that one site was the only place I’ve seen that mentioned, and I haven’t been able to find that site again. To y’all start counting at the first or second whistle?
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
November 3rd, 2011 at 10:45 pm
Hi Kevin,
We start counting on the very first whistle. When cooking rice in a pressure cooker, the first whistle is all you need to hear.
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
November 3rd, 2011 at 10:44 pm
Hi Kevin,
Yes, pressure cookers are life savers for us! Just a bit of caution about cooking Rajma in a crock pot. Some people say that kidney beans release some type of toxin if not cooked in a certain way and are not a good choice for cooking in a crock pot. But…guess you have your new pressure cooker by now to play with
. Good luck!
[Reply]
March 10th, 2012 at 10:23 pm
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I’ve tried out this and many of your other recipes and they always turn out great which has given me a lot of confidence in cooking
The time-saving tips in most of your recipes are really useful. Thank you and keep up the excellent work!
[Reply]
October 10th, 2012 at 12:13 am
Hi Hetal and Anuja,
I have a serious question regarding the type of rajma beans to use. In India (Punjab), my mother used to make rajma with the beans that look like borlotti beans that you get here in Australia (or US for that matter). I have grown up on those rajma and always loved them. However, here in Australia, I have been buying other beans. Lately, I have been using the maroon coloured beans (dark red). I must say that I have been disappointed with my rajma. I find that maroon coloured beans are almost a little bitter in taste, remain stiff and are not creamy at all. They just don’t blend with the gravy. The gravy was beautiful but the beans were not tasty. So they kind of kill the rajma.
Please suggest which beans I should use for the best taste.
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
October 12th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
Hi Guddi,
Unfortunately, we don’t get a choice in the variety of kidney beans available here in the US. The Indian store carries only the maroon dark red type. Is it possible that maybe the beans you got were old? The best way to get the creamy texture is to pressure cook them for about 2 whistles and reduce the flame to a simmer and continue cooking for about 45 mins.
[Reply]
Guddi Reply:
October 31st, 2012 at 3:37 am
Hi Hetel,
I made the last rajma with borlotti beans. I liked rajma better with borlotti beans, though my husband prefers the red beans. I don’t think the red beans that I use are old. I will try and buy the red beans from a different place next time and see if that makes a difference. Your idea of adding chaat masala is great. I did not have chaat masala, so added dahi wada masala. It gave a ‘zing’ to the rajma
[Reply]
October 14th, 2012 at 3:13 am
Can you freeze this? What do you suggest for reheating?
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
October 18th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Hi Gita,
Yes, you can freeze rajma. Either move it to the fridge the night before to defrost or use the defrost button on your microwave. Once defrosted, you can transfer it to a regular pot and heat it on the stove or heat it in the microwave it self.
[Reply]
February 21st, 2013 at 12:54 pm
i tried preparing rajma with dry seeds and read online to soak for 8 hrs or put it in a cooker , i kept it in cooker i waited for 8 whistles till it is not boiled. so how many whistles need to rajma to boil?
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
February 21st, 2013 at 4:30 pm
Hi Srinivas,
Rajma must be soaked for at least 6 to 8 hours BEFORE pressure cooking. I have never tried pressure cooking rajma without soaking.
[Reply]
March 20th, 2013 at 4:20 am
I have been trying for a while now to find a good curry recipe for beans…but it just doesn’t come out good like in the restaurants…until I found this recipe! I just made it for dinner tonight and although I am not familiar with the true authentic taste of this dish, I must say I really enjoyed it with a side of eggplants
. Oh and I also had to leave out the chaat masala as I didn’t have that on hand and also quadrupled the recipes and still enjoyed it
. I just want to thank you ladies for such a wonderful recipe!
val
http://www.youtube.com/etriliun
[Reply]
hetal Reply:
March 20th, 2013 at 2:44 pm
Thanks for the feedback Val!
[Reply]