Rajma (Rajma Masala / Rajma Chawal)
Craving for an authentic Punjabi rajma recipe? You are at the right place. This rajma masala is very easy to make with basic ingredients. Not to forget, it makes a delicious, comforting, and healthy meal when served with rice and it’s called rajma chawal.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 cup Rajma (Red kidney beans) (I have used Chitra rajma)
- ½ teaspoon Salt (to add while pressure cooking rajma)
- 2 ½ cups Water (for pressure cooking rajma)
- 1 cup Basmati rice (or your choice of any verity of rice)
- 1 cup Water (for cooking rice)
- ½ teaspoon Salt (for rice)
- ½ teaspoon Ghee (clarified butter) (for rice)
- 3 tablespoons Oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Black cardamom
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 cup Red onion (food processed (around 1 large onion))
- 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste (or crushed (1 inch ginger, 5-6 cloves garlic))
- 1 cup Tomatoes (crushed in a food processor (2 medium Roma tomatoes))
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander powder
- ¾ to 1 cup water (to adjust the gravy consistency)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) (crushed between palms before adding)
- 2 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter)
- 2-3 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves (finely chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Take red kidney beans in a large bowl, and rinse with cold tap water 2-3 times by massaging it lightly using your fingers until the water is clear (not cloudy anymore).
- 2
Soak in enough water (2-3 inches above the beans) for at least 8 hours orovernight. Beans will get double in size.
- 3
Discard the soaking water, and take the soaked beans in a steel insert for instant pot (or in a pressure cooker). Add fresh water and salt.
- 4
For rice, rinse the rice similarly until the water is clear. Take it into another insert, and add water, salt, and ghee. If using a stovetop small pressure cooker then cook the rice separately in a saucepan like in this basmati rice recipe.
- 5
Add a glassful of water to your electric pressure cooker, place a rack in the center, and place a beans insert. On top of that place the rice insert. Cover the rice insert with a lid.
- 6
Cover the pressure cooker with a lid.Pressure cooker: 1 whistle on High heat then reduce to Low and cook for 10 minutes.Instant pot: Manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes.
- 7
Let the pressure go down by itself then open the lid. Remove the rice container, fluff up the rice, and keep it aside covered.
- 8
Check whether beans is cooked or not by pressing one bean between your thumb and finger. It should be soft and easy to mash. If you notice, some of them will open up.
- 9
Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add bay leaf and black cardamom and saute for 30 seconds.
- 10
Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
- 11
Add chopped onions and sprinkle some salt to speed up the cooking process. Mix and cook until onions are brown in color (not light pink). Do stir in between to make sure that it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- 12
Add ginger, and garlic paste. Mix and saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
- 13
Add crushed tomatoes and mix. Cook until all the moisture is evaporated and it looks like a thick paste.
- 14
Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Mix and cook for a minute or until the oil starts to ooze out from the sides of the masala.
- 15
Add boiled rajma along with its water. Also, add the remaining salt.
- 16
Mix and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until the gravy is thickened (not watery anymore). Do stir occasionally to avoid sticking or burning.
- 17
Add garam masala and crushed kasoori methi. Mix well.
- 18
Add ghee, let it melt, and mix.
- 19
Lastly, garnish with chopped cilantro.