Rajma Masala Recipe - Kidney Beans with Indian Flavour
Image from Scott Veg on wikimedia
Preparation time
20 min
Cooking time
40 min
Soaking time around
8 hours
Kidney beans are highly nutritious and super rich in high quality protein. So, what better way to consume some quality food with an amazing taste than eat it the Indian way? Yes, you guessed it right. Today we shall be talking about the famed Rajma Masala. Rajma is ubiquitously consumed with rice in the Northern parts of India. So, without further delay here we present you with our Rajma Masala recipe.
Pro Tips Before You Start Making Rajma Masala
- While choosing kidney beans for your dish, do remember that old ones never cook well. So as always, the best practice is to check the packaging date.
- Do make sure that you soak the beans in cool fresh water for a minimum of eight hours to avoid bowel problems.
- While cooking, making sure that you cook them till they are soft is really important!
As for the masala powder, it is totally up to you. A variety of them are available in the supermarkets these days.
Ingredients
- Two Tablespoons coriander leaves
- Salt
- One green chili
- One teaspoon Ginger
- Three Cups of pure and fresh water
- One cup Kidney Beans (or Rajma)
- One cup finely chopped tomato
- One cup chopped onions
- One teaspoon garlic paste
- Three tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
Spices Masalas (or powders)
- One teaspoon fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi)
- One teaspoon coriander leaves (No need if you are using a rajma masala)
- One teaspoon red chili powder
- Half teaspoon of turmeric powder (Haldi)
Optional spices
- Half teaspoon of cumin (Jeera)
- One Bay Leaf (Tej Patta)
How to make the dish
Preparation of Rajma Masala
- Thoroughly wash your kidney beans and soak them for a minimum of eight hours in ample amount of fresh cool water.
- Then after the soaking is over, discard the remaining water and rinse the kidney beans again with fresh cool water.
Then go ahead to cook them in a closed pot or a pressure cooker till they get soft. But do make a note as not to overcook them.
Cooking Time Information
– Regular Pressure Cooker
Cook till you hear Four numbers of whistles on a medium gas flame.
– Closed Pot
Cook for around eighteen minutes again on a medium gas flame.
- When cooked properly, kidney beans shall get soft when you try to bite into it.
- If they still remain somewhat hard, then cook again for ten minutes.
Tomatoes and Onions Puree
- Add chopped onions to two cups of mildly hot water and boiled water for two to three minutes till it becomes transparent.
- Then proceed to drain the water into the kitchen sink. Ensure that their temperature falls and grind them to make a fine onion paste.
- Then grind tomatoes and also make sure that you blend in with two tablespoons of the cooked kidney beans so as to make it thicker.
Steps to make rajma masala
- Heat the cooking pan by putting some oil and cumin seeds and the bay leaf.
- Saute them until they start sizzling.
- Then add some garlic paste and wait till a unique aromatic smell is released.
- Then proceed to add onion paste and fry the same till it turns to yellowish-golden colour.
- Fry the tomatoes puree until their ravish smell vanishes.
- Then make sure that all of the spicy powders get added along with the salt. Keep frying till the oil starts getting separated.
- Add the cooked kidney beans (or rajma) and pour the stock cooked water as well.
- Then pour almost half cup water and start stirring. Mix ginger and green chili.
- Cook for almost ten to fifteen minutes.
- Serve your delicious rajma masala with rice (chawal) and onions.
One of the best recipes from the Indian sub-continent that you should be trying.
290 calories per serving.
[ratings]
