Rajmah Recipe
Kidney beans in tomato sauce with ginger, garlic, tumeric and spices.
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Ingredients
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Beans
Cooking liquids & oil
Aromatics & base
Tomatoes & puree
Spices
Thickener & optional
Garnish & finish
Method
Beans
- 1
Soak the rajma
Rinse 1.5 cups dried red kidney beans thoroughly under cold water until the runoff is clear. Place the beans in a bowl and cover with at least 4 cups of water (water for soaking). Soak for 8 hours or overnight so they swell and soften.
- 2
Drain and prepare for cooking
After soaking, drain the soaking water and rinse the beans once more. Transfer the soaked beans to a pressure cooker (or large pot) and add 4 cups of fresh water (water for pressure-cooking/stewing) and 1 bay leaf. This water amount gives a saucy consistency; add more later if needed.
- 3
Cook the beans
Pressure-cook the beans until tender: on medium-high heat bring to pressure then cook for 15-18 minutes (about 6-7 whistles) if using a stovetop pressure cooker, or 25-30 minutes in an electric pressure cooker. If using a pot, simmer gently for 1 to 1.5 hours until beans are soft. Once cooked, let pressure release naturally. Reserve the cooking liquid; you will use some to adjust curry consistency.
Aromatics & base
- 4
Prepare aromatics
While the beans are cooking (or after), finely chop 1 large onion, mince 6 garlic cloves, grate 1 inch fresh ginger, and slit 1 green chili (if using). Keep everything ready.
- 5
Temper spices and sauté onions
In a wide heavy-bottomed pan or kadai, heat 3 tbs vegetable oil or ghee over medium heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10 seconds until fragrant. Add the drained and finely chopped onion and sauté on medium heat until soft and golden-brown (about 8–10 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent burning. Add the minced garlic, grated ginger, and slit green chili; sauté for another 1–2 minutes until raw aroma disappears.
Tomatoes & puree
- 6
Cook tomatoes into a masala
Add 3 chopped tomatoes and 1 cup tomato puree to the onions. Stir, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook the mixture until the tomatoes break down and the oil begins to separate from the masala (about 10–12 minutes). This step develops a deep tomato-onion base for the curry.
Spices
- 7
Add powdered spices
Stir in 0.5 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chili powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, and 1.5 tsp salt. Cook the spice-tomato mixture for 2–3 minutes to remove the raw flavor of the ground spices. If the masala becomes too dry or sticks, add 2–3 tbs of the reserved bean cooking liquid and mix.
Combine & Simmer
- 8
Combine beans and masala
Add the cooked kidney beans (with any remaining cooking liquid) to the tomato-onion masala. If you prefer a thicker curry, mash the optional boiled potato and stir it into the pot now to thicken the gravy; alternatively, take about 3/4 cup of the cooked beans, mash them lightly with a spoon, and return the mash to the pan—this will naturally thicken the sauce. Adjust liquid by adding more reserved cooking liquid or water to reach desired consistency (typically 1–1.5 cups of total gravy liquid).
- 9
Simmer to marry flavors
Bring the rajmah to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes on low-medium heat so the beans soak up the masala flavors. Stir occasionally and check seasoning. If the curry thickens too much, add 1/4 cup water at a time.
- 10
Finish with final spices
Just before finishing, sprinkle 1 tsp garam masala and 1 tsp kasuri methi (if using) over the curry. Stir well and simmer for another 2 minutes to bloom the spices. Taste and adjust salt (1.5 tsp was added earlier — increase if needed) and spiciness.
Garnish & finish
- 11
Add acidity and garnish
Turn off the heat and stir in 1 tbs lemon juice to brighten the flavors. Add 0.25 cups chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) and mix gently. Remove and discard the bay leaf before serving.
- 12
Serve
Serve hot rajmah with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice, or warm roti. Leftovers develop even deeper flavor after a day; reheat gently, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen the gravy.
