Rajma Chawal Recipe (Easy One Pot)

rajma curry in an orange and red dotted bowl.

4.80 from 15 votes

Rajma Chawal is a comfort food where rajma means kidney beans curry and chawal means rice. The post shares a simple and easy one pot recipe of a homestyle kidney beans curry along with the absorption method of cooking basmati rice (chawal).

Prep Time9 15

Cook Time45

Total Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Diet: Vegetarian

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 421kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

For pressure cooking kidney beans

1 cup rajma (dried kidney beans), 200 grams - soaked overnight in enough water
2.5 cups water - for pressure cooking

Other ingredients

½ to 1 teaspoon green chili - chopped or 1 to 2 green chillies
1 tablespoon garlic - finely chopped or 7 to 8 medium-sized peeled garlic
1 tablespoon ginger - finely chopped or 1 inch peeled & chopped ginger
3 tomatoes - medium-sized, finely chopped; 200 grams
1 onion - large, finely chopped; 100 grams
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon red chili powder
¾ to 1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoon butter or oil
salt as required

For cooking basmati rice (chawal)

1 cup basmati rice (heaped), 200 grams
2 cups water or add as required depending on the quality of rice
½ teaspoon oil (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt or add as per taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparation

Rinse the kidney beans for a couple of times in running water.
Then soak the beans in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.
The next day or after 8 to 9 hours, drain the soaked water.
Rinse the beans again in fresh clean water. Drain all the water and keep the soaked beans aside.
Chop the veggies - onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Set aside.

Making rajma

In a pressure cooker add the kidney beans along with the chopped onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and green chilies
Now add the spices - cumin seeds, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Pour water. Stir and mix very well.
Add butter or oil. Stir again.
Cover and seal tightly with lid and pressure cook for 18 to 20 whistles on a high heat.
Once the pressure drop naturally in the cooker, then only open the lid and check the beans. The kidney beans have to be cooked completely.
Taste a few kidney beans and they should be melt in the mouth without giving you any bite or resistance while eating.
If the beans are still not cooked completely, then add about ½ cup more of water and pressure cook again for 5 to 6 whistles.
Once the beans are cooked well, then check the gravy also, you will see a thin water-like stock with the tomatoes and onions floating.
So you have to continue to simmer till the gravy thickens a bit.
Keep the cooker on stovetop and on a medium-low to medium heat, simmer without lid. Stir at intervals.
When you keep the rajma curry on the stovetop, then add the dry mango powder garam masala powder.
Stir well and simmer the curry till the consistency thickens. Mash a few kidney beans with the back of a spoon to thicken the consistency.
When the consistency of the gravy is no longer broth-like or water-like and thickened. Then the rajma curry is ready.
If you want you can thicken the gravy more if having with chapati or phulka or roti.
Lastly check the taste and add more of salt, garam masala, red chili powder or dry mango powder if required.
Garnishing with coriander leaves is optional. Serve rajma with some steamed rice or with chapati, paratha or naan. You can also serve with cumin rice or saffron rice.
Although you can serve rajma with any medium or short-grain variety of rice but it tastes best with basmati rice.

Making chawal or cooking basmati rice

Take the amount of rice that you plan to serve. I have taken 1 cup heaped basmati rice (200 grams).
Take the rice in a bowl and begin to rinse the rice grains in running water till the water is clear of starch
Soak the rice grains in ¾ to 1 cup water for 20 to 30 minutes.
After keeping the kidney beans to cook in the pressure cooker, you can begin with the rinsing and soaking of rice.
Later drain all the water from the rice and set aside
For 1 cup of rice, pour 2 cups water (500 ml) in a heavy thick deep bottomed pan.
Use the proportion of 1:2 of rice and water depending on the quantity of rice you are using. Also, use a wide deep pan so that the water does spill out while cooking.
Note that the amount of water to be added depends on the quality and quantity of rice.
Sometimes some strains of basmati rice get cooked quickly in less water. In this case, you can add 1½ to 1¾ cups of water for 1 cup of rice.
Add ¼ teaspoon salt or as per your taste. You can also add ½ teaspoon oil or butter or ghee. Adding any fat like oil or butter is optional.
Let the water come to a boil on a medium to medium-high heat.
Then add the rice and gently stir with a fork.
Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Do check once or twice when the rice is cooking.
In case the rice grains look undercooked and the water has dried up, then add 2 to 3 tablespoons hot water.
Stir gently with a fork then lower the flame and cook the rice till all the water has been absorbed and the rice grains have cooked well.
Usually, rice takes about 7 to 8 minutes for the rice grains to be tender, soft and fluffy.
However keep in mind that the cooking time will vary with the type or variety of rice grains, quality of the pan and the intensity of the heat.
After the rice is cooked give a resting time of 5 minutes before you open the lid. Then open the lid and gently fluff the rice with a fork.
For a detailed step by step method of making basmati rice you can check this post - How to cook basmati rice in a pot or pan.
While serving, spoon the rice in a serving plate. Pour the rajma gravy on top of the rice. Serve with a side of some chopped lemons, sliced onions and/or chopped tomatoes. Enjoy Rajma Chawal.

Notes

If cooking rajma in a pot or pan:

First soak the rajma as usual for 8 to 9 hours.
Drain them and rinse them with fresh water.
Then in a huge pot, boil enough water first.
Add the rajma and salt.
Cook covered for about 45 to 1 hour or more if required.
It takes a long time to cook rajma without a pressure cooker.

Note that the approx nutrition info is for 1 serving of rajma with steamed basmati rice.

Nutrition