This Rajma recipe is a creamy, tangy and spiced curry made with dried kidney beans. This restaurant style Rajma Masala is made in a base of sautéed onions, tomatoes, spices and cream making it truly delicious. Best served with steamed hot rice (called chawal) or soft roti or flaky paratha.
Rinse and soak the rajma (kidney beans) in enough water overnight or for 8 to 9 hours.
Next day, discard the water and rinse the beans again in fresh water for a couple of times.
Drain all the water.
Pressure Cooking
In a 3 litre pressure cooker, take both the soaked rajma and water.
Pressure cook on a medium to high flame for 15 to 20 minutes.
When the rajma is cooking, you can chop the onions, tomatoes etc.
Crush the ginger, garlic and green chillies in a mortar-pestle to a fine or semi-fine texture. Set aside
When the pressure settles down on its own, open the lid.
Check if the rajma beans are cooked or not by taking a bite or pressing a few beans.
If the beans are cooked well set aside or drain the beans.
If the rajma are not cooked completely, then pressure cook again adding some water if required for some minutes.
Making masala
Heat oil + butter in another pot or pan on a low heat. Add cumin first and let them crackle & get browned.
Then add onions and sauté them till they caramelized or golden browned on a medium-low to medium heat.
Take care not to burn them as this will give bitter tones in the curry.
Light browning the onions is also alright.
Keep on stirring the onions while sauteing them, for uniform cooking and also so that they don't get burnt.
Lower the heat and add the crushed ginger-garlic-chili paste. Stir and sauté for 5 to 10 seconds on a low flame until the raw aroma of the ginger and garlic goes away.
Add the tomatoes. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-low to medium heat until the tomatoes become soft.
Add all the spice powders one by one - turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, asafoetida (hing) and garam masala powder.
On a medium-low heat or medium heat stirring often sauté the whole masala mixture until the fat starts leaving the sides of the masala base. This masala paste will become glossy, thicken and leave the sides of the pan.
Using a slotted spoon or a strainer remove the beans and add them to the masala.
Stir and sauté for a minute.
Making rajma masala
Add 2 cups of water. If you prefer you can also add the cooked rajma stock instead of fresh water.
Add salt as required and stir the whole curry mixture.
On a low heat to medium-low heat simmer without a lid for 10 to 12 minutes or more time until the curry thickens slightly. It should not be watery.
Mash a few rajma beans with the spoon. This helps to thicken the curry.
When the rajma masala has thickened and comes to the right consistency which is neither too thick nor thin, then add the crushed dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and cream. You can skip the cream if you prefer.
Stir and simmer for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Switch off the heat.
Serve rajma masala with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice or naan or roti or paratha. You can garnish with some coriander leaves when serving.
The rajma chawal combo makes for a filling, heathy and a comforting meal.
Video
Notes
Helpful Tips
Soaking kidney beans: Dried beans when soaked become more easy to digest as soaking reduces the phytic acid in them. The phytates present in beans cause indigestion and flatulence. Soaking also helps the beans to cook faster.
Texture of cooked beans: The rajma beans should be cooked very well and have a melt in the mouth texture. They should not be al dente or just about cooked.
Quality of kidney beans: Use fresh beans within their shelf-life as older beans take a long time to cook.
Using canned kidney beans: When replacing with canned kidney beans, add them at the step in the recipe where cooked beans are added. Add fresh water and continue to simmer for some minutes until the consistency thickens. You can add two 15 oz canned kidney beans.
Gluten-free variation: Omit asafoetida (hing) for a gluten-free recipe.
Vegan variation: Instead of butter use oil and skip the cream completely.
Spicing: Spices in the rajma curry can be adjusted as per your taste.
Cooking beans in a pot or pan: Soak the beans as usual for 8 to 9 hours. Drain them and rinse them with fresh water. In a large pot, add enough water, soaked beans and salt. Cook covered for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or more if required until the beans are softened.
Note that the approximate nutrition info is for 1 serving of rajma without rice or roti or naan.
Ingredient Notes
Kidney beans: Dark red kidney beans can be used.
Ingredients that can be skipped: Asafoetida, dried fenugreek leaves, butter and cream can be skipped completely.
Canned tomatoes: You can add canned tomatoes instead of fresh. Add 1 cup of crushed tomatoes.
Making Rajma in Instant Pot
Sauté the spices, onions and tomatoes in the steel insert of the Instant Pot using the sauté button.
Add the soaked and drained kidney beans, water and deglaze.
Press the pressure cooker button or the chili button and set the time to 30 minutes at high pressure.
Wait for natural release. After 17 to 20 minutes open the lid.
Press cancel button and press the sauté button again.
Simmer for some minutes stirring often until the curry thickens. Mash some beans when simmering to thicken the gravy.
Add the cream and dried fenugreek leaves. Mix and serve garnished with some coriander leaves.