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Punjabi Rajma Curry

Rajma /Red kidney beans curry

anubhav mahajan
Tender red kidney beans, simmered in flavoursome onion tomato gravy, and loads of asian spices.A perfect, sumptous  and a healthy meal .
Prep Time 10 hours
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 10 hours 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, north indian, punjabi
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Rajma / red kidney beans soaked overnight in 5-6 cups of water
  • 5-6 cups water to boil rajma
  • 1 tsp mustard oil
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • a dash of asafoetida powder/ hing
  • 2 tsp crushed ginger and garlic or use paste instead
  • 1 medium onions
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 3-4 medium tomatoes pureed
  • 3-4 green chillies- adjust qty as per the spice you want chopped/ or sliced
  • salt as per taste
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp deggi mirchi powder
  • 1 tsp haldi/ turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp hand crushed dried fenugreek leaves/ kasoori methi

to garnish

  • 1 tsp ghee/ butter to drizzle
  • fresh coriander chopped/ handpicked
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala

Instructions
 

  • In a pressure cooker, boil water with a tsp of salt, and add soaked beans in it .Pressure cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes, till the beans are tender and can be crushed easily with two fingers.
    Punjabi Rajma Curry
  • Once the rajma is cooked, add a tea spoon of raw mustard oil. Cover and let it simmer on slow heat, till you prepare the tempering.
    Punjabi Rajma Curry

For tempering

  • If you are using fresh ginger garlic - crush 7-8 cloves garlic, and 1 inch ginger slice in mortar pestle/ or in a mixer grinder.
  • To make Onion cumin paste- In a grinder roughly grind onions and cumin seeds together. 
    black-chickpeas-curry
  • To make tomato puree- In a grinder , nicely grind tomatoes till they form puree.
    Maah ki Daal/Black Dal
  • Heat oil/ ghee add asafoetida powder. Sauté for a minute. 
    black-chickpeas-curry
  • Add crushed ginger garlic. Sauté this till the raw aroma of ginger and garlic goes away.
    black-chickpeas-curry
  • Add onion and cumin seeds paste , and sauté till the paste is  cooked. It will start turning golden. Make sure not to burn it. 
    Punjabi Rajma Curry
  • To the above add the tomato puree. Sauté this till the tomatoes are nicely cooked, and the oil/ ghee starts leaving sides.The tempering should be nicely cooked, and there should be no water. 
    Punjabi Rajma Curry
  • Now add chopped, or sliced green chillies, and all dry spices - salt, red chilli powder, deggi mirchi powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder. Mix well. Add fenugreek leaves, and mix.
    Punjabi Rajma Curry
  • Once you tempering is ready, add it to the cooked rajma in the cooker, and mix well. 
    Pressure cook once again for one whistle, so that the tempering is incorporated , and the beans absorb the flavour . Turn the heat off.
    Punjabi Rajma Curry
  • Open the pressure cooker once the pressure has subsided, and serve rajma with a dollop of ghee / butter, fresh coriander, and a sprinkle of garam masala.
    Punjabi Rajma Curry
  • Serve these on top of steamed rice, or jeera rice, with a side of  sliced onions, salad, raita and your healthy dream lunch is ready.
    Punjabi Rajma Curry

Notes

Adding mustard oil is completely optional. I add it because it provides a slightly rustic , sharp taste and flavour to the beans when these are cooked. Most of the people do not add it. So you can skip this if you want to.
Keyword kidney beans, rajma, chilli beans, beans, legumes