Rajma is spicy and tangy kidney bean curry typically served with rice that’s sure to become a comfort food favorite in your household, just like it is in mine!

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What is Rajma?

Rajma is a curry made with kidney beans and plenty of spices. Many variations of this dish exist but most recipes use onions, ginger, and garlic as the base aromatics, and tomatoes to add tanginess.

Pro Tips

1. To elevate any rajma recipe, make sure to dry-roast your cumin seeds. To do this, simply heat your cumin seeds on a skillet over a medium heat until they turn fragrant and start to slightly darken in color. Be careful not over-roast because you do not want to burn the seeds. Then, crush your seeds with a mortar and pestle to create a fine powder.

2. This recipe works best using a pressure cooker; however, if you don’t have one, an instant pot could be a good substitute.

Rajma – Ingredient Breakdown:

If you want to make the best rajma, make sure you have the following ingredients:

• Oil
• Roasted cumin seeds 
• Yellow onions 
• Ginger 
• Garlic 
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Jalapeño (or green chili of choice)
• Coriander powder
• Garam masala
• Amchur powder
• Turmeric
• Choti elachi
• Badi elachi
• Cloves
• Red chili powder

How to Make Rajma

1. First, begin by sautéeing your onions in oil until translucent and then add in hing.
2. Next, add in your ginger and garlic and cook for another minute or so before adding in your dry roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, and amchur powder
3. Make sure to turn your heat to low so that you don’t burn your spices, and then let everything simmer for another minute
4. Then, add in your can of diced tomatoes, your jalapeno, and your fresh cilantro.
5. Now add in your salt, choti elachi, badi elachi, and cloves, and simmer the mixture on a medium-low heat for another 10-15 minutes until all the water has released from the tomatoes.
6. Finally, add in your rajma and water and cook for 30 minutes in your pressure cooker.

Looking For More Recipes? Check These Out!

• Bhindi Masala
• Jeera Rice
• Cucumber Raita

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Rajma Chawal

A rich and spicy kidney bean curry!

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Ingredients

• 1 tsp cumin seeds (dry roasted and crushed)
• 1 c yellow onions (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp ginger (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp garlic (finely chopped)
• 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 jalapeño (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/3 c coriander leaves and stems (loosely packed and chopped OR to taste)
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp amchur powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 2 choti elachi
• 1 badi elachi
• 2 cloves
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp red chili powder
• 4.5 c water
• 2 cans of kidney beans

Instructions

• Sauté your onions in oil until translucent and then add in hing
• Next, add in your ginger and garlic and cook for another minute or so before adding in your dry roasted cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, and amchur powder
• Make sure to turn your heat to low so that you don’t burn your spices, and then let everything simmer for another minute
• Add in your can of diced tomatoes, your jalapeno, and your fresh cilantro (Note, for a smoother consistency you can throw your canned tomatoes into a food processor or just use crushed tomatoes)
• Now add in your salt, choti elachi, badi elachi, and cloves, and simmer the mixture on a medium-low heat for another 10-15 minutes until all the water has released from the tomatoes.
• Add in your rajma and water and cook for 30 minutes in your pressure cooker.

Notes

1. To dry-roast your cumin seeds, simply heat your cumin seeds on a skillet over a medium heat until they turn fragrant and start to slightly darken in color. Be careful not over-roast because you do not want to burn the seeds. Then, crush your seeds with a mortar and pestle to create a fine powder.

2. If you do not own a pressure cooker, I think an instant pot could be a good substitute. However, cooking times may vary. If you have neither than you can simply cover your pot with its respective lid and let it simmer, but the cook time will definitely be much longer than 30 minutes – it would probably be closer to an hour.