rajma pulao | kidney beans pilaf

Rajma pulao recipe with step by step photos – aromatic rice pulao or pilaf made with kidney beans, herbs and spices. Vegan and gluten-free recipe.

Rajma or kidney beans are a legume that is a good source of protein, fibre and vitamins-minerals. Apart from making the usual sunday Rajma recipe on weekends, I also make this pulao or this easy Rajma chawal. if you like kidney beans, you will like this pulao too. The aroma that will waft in your kitchen when the pressure cooker releases the steam is something you won’t expect from a simple pulao recipe. Try this recipe and you will love it.

When making rajma pulao, make sure that the rajma is cooked well. Usually, rajma or chana are soaked overnight or for 8-9 hours so that they take less time to cook.

In the recipe post, I have cooked both kidney beans and rice in a pressure cooker, but you can also cook them in a pot. Details are given in the notes section of recipe card below.

This delicious rajma pulao goes best with raita. Though a shorba (onion tomato gravy) will also go very well with it. Some more gravies that you can pair can be mirchi ka salan or a veg korma. I had made capsicum raita and it complemented the pulao very well.

How to make rajma pulao

1. A night before or for 8 to 9 hours, rinse ½ cup rajma a couple of times and then soak in water.

2. The next day, discard the soaked water, then rinse the rajma beans again very well in running water. Drain.

3. Add the rajma to a pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water. You can also add ¼ tsp salt if you want.

4. Pressure cook rajma for 15 to 20 whistles or for 12 to 17 minutes. First, I cooked the beans for 15 whistles and found that they were still uncooked from center. So I pressure cooked for 5 whistles more. Rajma has to be cooked very well. There should be no rawness or bite in the rajma. Pressure cooking time will vary depending on the quality of the rajma.

5. When the pressure settles down in the cooker, then remove the lid. Strain the rajma. Keep aside.

6. Before you keep the rajma for cooking, rinse 1 heaped cup basmati rice very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. Then soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes.

7. after 30 minutes strain the rice of all the water and keep aside.

8. In a mortar-pestle take 1 inch ginger (roughly chopped), 6 to 7 garlic cloves (roughly chopped) and 1 or 2 green chilies, chopped.

9. Crush to a coarse paste. You can also use a small grinder to make this paste. Keep aside.

Making rajma pulao

10. Just rinse the same pressure cooker in which the rajma beans were cooked, with water and then keep again on stovetop. Add 3 tbsp oil. When the oil becomes hot, lower the flame and add these whole spices – 1 small to medium tej patta (Indian bay leaf), 3 cloves, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, ½ inch cinnamon and ½ tsp cumin seeds.

11. Let the spices crackle.

12. Now add ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions.

13. On a low to medium flame, begin sauteing the onions.

14. Saute the onions till they start to become golden.

15. Now add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chilli paste along with ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves.

16. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. This takes a few seconds.

17. Add the cooked rajma beans.

18. Next add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chili powder and ½ tsp coriander powder. Mix well.

19. Add the rice.

20. Season with salt.

21. Gently stir and mix the rice and salt with the rest of the ingredients.

22. Now add 2 cups water. You can add 1.75 cups to 2 cups of water. do add water depending on the quality of basmati rice. Stir very well. Check the taste of the water and it should taste a bit salty.

23. Lastly add ½ tsp lemon juice.

24. Cover and pressure cook pulao on a medium to high flame for 2 to 3 whistles or 8 to 9 minutes. When the pressure comes down on its own, open the lid and gently fluff the pulao.

25. Serve rajma pulao hot garnished with some chopped coriander leaves with your favorite raita or salad or mango pickle.

Few more pulao recipes for you !

• Tawa pulao
• Paneer pulao
• Pulao recipe
• Peas pulao
• Kashmiri pulao

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Rajma Pulao

4.6 from 5 votes

By Dassana Amit

Aromatic spiced rice pulao made with kidney beans, herbs and spices.

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Prep Time 9 hrs

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 9 hrs 35 mins

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Cuisine North Indian

Course: Main Course

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Servings 2 to 3

Units

Ingredients

for cooking rajma

• ▢ ½ cup rajma (kidney beans) or 90 to 100 grams rajma
• ▢ 2 cups water for pressure cooking
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)

whole spices

• ▢ 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
• ▢ 3 cloves
• ▢ 2 to 3 green cardamoms
• ▢ 1 black cardamom
• ▢ ½ inch cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds - shah jeera also can be added instead of cumin seeds

to be crushed to a paste

• ▢ 1 inch ginger or 8 grams ginger
• ▢ 6 to 7 garlic cloves or 7 to 8 grams garlic cloves
• ▢ 1 or 2 green chilies, chopped

other ingredients

• ▢ 3 tablespoon oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion, thinly sliced or ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions or 60 grams onion, thinly sliced
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
• ▢ 1 cup heaped basmati rice or 200 grams basmati rice, soaked in enough water for 30 minutes
• ▢ 1.75 to 2 cups water (do add water depending on the quality of basmati rice)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• ▢ salt as required
• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves for garnish (cilantro leaves)

Instructions

cooking rajma

• A night before or for 8 to 9 hours, rinse ½ cup rajma a couple of times and then soak in water.
• The next day, discard the soaked water. Then rinse the rajma beans again very well in running water. Drain.
• Add the rinsed rajma to a pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water. You can also add ¼ tsp salt if you want.
• Pressure cook for 15 to 20 whistles or for 12 to 17 minutes. First I cooked rajma beans for 15 whistles and found that the beans were still uncooked from the center. So I pressure cooked for 5 whistles more. 
• Rajma has to be cooked very well. There should be no rawness or bite in the rajma. Pressure cooking time will vary depending on quality of rajma.
• When the pressure settles down in the cooker, then remove the lid. Strain the rajma. Keep aside.

soaking rice

• Before you keep the rajma for cooking, rinse 1 heaped cup basmati rice very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. 
• Then soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes strain the rice of all the water and keep aside.

preparing ginger+garlic+green chili paste

• In a mortar-pestle take 1 inch ginger (roughly chopped), 6 to 7 garlic cloves (roughly chopped) and 1 or 2 green chilies, chopped.
• Crush to a coarse paste. You can also use a small grinder to make this paste. Keep aside.
• Thinly slice one medium onion. Also chop coriander leaves and keep aside.

making rajma pulao

• Just rinse the same pressure cooker in which we cooked rajma beans, with water and then keep again on stove top. Add 3 tbsp oil. 
• When the oil becomes hot, lower the flame and add these whole spices - 1 small to medium tej patta, 3 cloves, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, ½ inch cinnamon and ½ tsp cumin seeds.
• Let the spices crackle.
• Now add 1/3 cup thinly sliced onions. On a low to medium flame, begin sauteing the onions. Saute the onions till they start to become golden.
• Now add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chilli paste along with ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves.
• Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. This takes a few seconds.
• Add the cooked rajma beans.
• Next add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chili powder and ½ tsp coriander powder. Mix well.
• Add the rice. Season with salt.
• Gently stir and mix the rice and salt with the rest of the ingredients.

cooking rajma pulao

• Now add 2 cups water. You can add 1.75 cups to 2 cups of water. Do add water depending on the quality of basmati rice.
• Lastly add ½ tsp lemon juice.
• Cover and pressure cook the pulao on a medium to high flame for 2 to 3 whistles or 8 to 9 minutes.
• When the pressure comes down on its own, open the lid and gently fluff the pulao.
• Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and serve rajma pulao hot with your favorite raita or salad or pickle.

Notes

- for cooking kidney beans in a pot or pan:
Take a deep bottomed pan or pot. Add 2.5 to 3 cups of water along with the kidney beans. Cover the pan and on a medium to high flame cook the beans. If required add more hot water.
- for cooking pulao in a pot.
Add 2 cups water. On a low to medium flame, cover and cook till rice is done.

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