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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
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28 Responses to “Kidney Beans Curry (Rajma)”
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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
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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]
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.
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June 30th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
hi there u forgot to add cumin powder
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July 24th, 2008 at 2:44 am
hi what is chaat masala, and where can i buy. thank you
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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!
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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?
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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???
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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.
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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
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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
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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!
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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
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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!!
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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.
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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:)
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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.
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July 27th, 2009 at 3:48 am
plz plz plz reply soon.
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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!
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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???
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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
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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.
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Swetha Reply:
November 14th, 2009 at 4:27 am
I thought so…
Thanks Hetal!
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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.
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