Maa Rajma Daal recipe
A sumptuous creamy mix of whole black urad lentils and kidney beans with a mix of rustic Indian flavours.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole black urad daal/ whole black daal/ maan ki daal
- 2 tbsp red kidney beans/ rajma
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds whole
- 6-7 cups water
- 1 tsp mustard oil
- a pinch hing (asafoetida) powder/ crushed
- salt as per taste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 3-4 Green chillies chopped
- 2-3 pcs cloves
- 1 pod black cardamom whole
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 inch slice of ginger chopped/ crushed/ grated
- 5-6 cloves garlic chopped/ crushed/grated
- 1 tsp kasoori methi (dried and crushed fenugreek leaves)
- 5-6 tbsp Pure ghee
- 1 medium Onion chopped
- 1 tsp caraway seeds(jeera)
- 1 tbsp Fresh Malai (creme) Use clotted cream / fresh whipping cream if malai is not available
- 1 tbsp grated paneer This is for garnishing and completely optional.
- few sprigs fresh coriander leaves Chopped. For garnishing
- 1 tsp Degi Mirchi powder
Instructions
Soak whole urad daal (lentils) and rajma (kidney beans ) in water overnight.
- Before cooking, wash the mix thoroughly with water.
- In a pressure cooker, add the soaked Lentils and beans mix, 6-7 cups water (for 1 cup lentils and 2 tbsp beans), and 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds.Cook for 5-6 whistles.
- open the lid, once the pressure is all out. Then add mustard oil ,whole spices (cloves/ black cardamom/cinnamon stick), add salt, red chilli powder, hing (asafoetida),chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic.
- Close the cooker lid and on a medium heat, let it cook for 20 minutes.
- After 20 min, turn off the heat, and once the pressure is out, open the cooker lid. Add crushed kasoori methi (dried and crushed fenugreek leaves), mix well and cook daal on slow heat, for another 15-20 min, till it dissolves , and looks a little mushy.
For the first tempering
- Heat 4 tbsp of ghee.
- Add caraway seeds (jeera), let them splutter.
- Add chopped onions and let them get a little crispy and light brown.
- Add Malai. Almost all Indian homes have malai (fresh cream) readily available , but here in UK I do not have malai at home. I use the clotted cream instead and it works well in this recipe.You can also add the whipping cream if nothing else is available. Do not cook the tempering much after adding malai.
- Add this tadka (tempering) to the hot daal, and mix well.
For the second tempering. You can add this while serving the daal.
- Heat the leftover ghee.
- Once the ghee is hot enough, turn off the heat and add deli mirch powder.
- Immediately add it over the cooked daal.
- Now garnish the daal with grated paneer . This really looks good and blend well with the taste of man rajma daal( This is completely optional).Add fresh coriander and serve this with paranthas / roti/ naan or rice.
