Rajma masala | Rajma recipe | Restaurant-style Red Kidney beans curry
Learn How to make Rajma masala or Red Kidney beans curry with step by step detailed images. Rajma masala is one of the most popular and delicious curries made with rajma aka red kidney beans which is first boiled and simmered in Indian spices. It is widely cooked in North Indian houses more specifically in Punjabi cuisine.
Punjabi rajma masala is the widely loved spicy curry which goes very well with steamed jeera rice and/or paratha, chapati. Rajma Curry and Rice, simply known as Rajma Chawal, is comfort food for many Indians and the popularity of the combination is increasing day by day around the world.
Similar to many other Indian dishes, every household has its own recipe of rajma masala and with a little variation, it becomes a family-owned recipe that passes from generation to generation.
Whenever I cook this, I double the quantity and use it for 2 meals. For dinner, rajma goes with chawal and next for lunch it goes with chapati.
What is Rajma masala?
Rajma masala is a thick, creamy and delectable curry made with red kidney beans (soaked & boiled) slowly simmered in onion-tomato paste enriched with authentic & whole Indian spices.
Rajma masala is originated in the Northern region of India. This popular dish has been loved by bachelors too. If entire recipe is made in cooker it becomes easier for bachelors to cook in advance. And consume it later.
When it is consumed with chawal (rice) aka rajma chawal makes it a wholesome meal which provides with a good amount of proteins, fibres, sodium and carbohydrates.
How long to soak Rajma & why is it important?
For rajma to be perfectly cooked, it should melt in mouth smooth. Compared to other beans, red kidney beans take more time to cook.
I always prefer buying raw & fresh red kidney beans over canned & old beans. I highly recommended checking the packaging date on the packet before purchasing. Because older the beans more time it takes to cook. Also, it tastes a little strange compared to fresh beans.
Coming towards the soaking process, let me tell you this is the most important and overlooked factor while making rajma. It is very much important to soak the rajma beans minimum of 8 to 9 hours or overnight.
Once it is soaked, it almost doubles in size and becomes little soft. At this point, you can pressure cook the rajma for about 5 to 6 whistles in cooker. And if you are using pot or pan to boil rajma beans, it may take around 50 to 60 mins to completely soften the beans.
Types of kidney beans?
- Red kidney beans (also known as rajma in India).
- Lightly speckled kidney bean (long shape light speckled kidney bean).
- Red speckled kidney bean (long shape red coloured kidney bean).
- White kidney bean (also known as lobia in India).
Other recipes that can be made using boiled rajma?
- The first thing that comes to my mind is simply eating a bowl full of rajma beans topped with finely chopped onions, tomatoes and some seasoning like salt, pepper, lemon juice, cilantro leaves, etc.
- Secondly, you can use it as a salad along with fresh greens like baby spinach, lettuce, dill leaves, cucumber and avocado. It tastes yumm!! A drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice makes it to the other level.
- You can also mash the boiled rajma and use as a stuffing in sandwiches and parathas. I sometimes make rajma stuffed paratha for tiffin box and it tastes delicious with raita or achar.
- Another popular rajma recipe is rajma pulao. I cannot even explain how much I love it and it is my go-to recipe which is done in less than 30 mins.
More recipes from Punjabi Cuisine:
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Rajma masala Recipe Card
Rajma masala
Materials
For pressure cooking Rajma:
- 1 cup Rajma or Red-kidney beans
- 3 cups Water for pressure cooking
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 Green cardamom pods slightly crushed
- 1-inch Cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp Salt
For making Rajma masala:
- 3 - 4 tbsp Oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 tbsp jeera/cumin seeds
- ½-inch Cinnamon stick
- 2 medium Onions finely chopped
- Pinch of hing/ Asafoetida
- 1 Green chilli deseeded & finely chopped
- ½ tbsp Ginger finely chopped or crushed
- 3 - 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped or crushed
- 3 medium Tomatoes finely chopped or pureed or grated
- ½ tsp Haldi / turmeric powder
- 1½ tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder/ lal mirch powder
- 1 tsp Kitchen king masala
- 1 tsp Amchur powder/ dry mango powder
- ½ cup Water to adjust consistency
- ½ tsp Garam masala
- 1 tsp Kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves
- Fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
Instructions
Soaking and pressure cooking Lobia:
- Rinse a cup of rajma under running water and soak it in a large bowl with enough quantity of water for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
- After 8 hours, rinse the soaked rajma again under running water and put it in the pressure cooker with 3 cups of water.
- Add bay leaf, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, salt, and water in the pressure cooker.
- Cover the cooker with lid and pressure cook it for 5 to 6 whistles.
- Cook until rajma turns soft and can be mashed easily with your fingers.
- Strain the rajma in the colander and keep it aside.
Making Rajma Masala:
- In a thick wide bottom kadhai, heat ¼ cup of oil and add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.
- Saute cumin seeds till it starts spluttering, then add finely chopped onions and saute till it turns translucent.
- Then, add finely chopped or grated ginger-garlic, green chillies and hing (asafoetida) and saute till the raw smell of garlic goes away.
- Add finely chopped or grated tomatoes in the kadhai and mix and saute till the moisture from tomatoes are evaporated.
- Cover & cook the onion-tomato mixture for 5 to 7 mins until all the moisture from tomatoes is evaporated.
- Then add all the dry spices - turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, kitchen king masala and amchur or dry mango powder.
- Give it a nice mix and saute dry spices with onion-tomato paste for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame.
- After a few minutes, spices and onion-tomato paste will be cooked and now add water to your desired consistency and give it a nice mix.
- Once it starts boiling, add the boiled and strained rajma in the kadhai and mix.
- Lastly add garam masala, kasuri methi and freshly chopped coriander leaves and mix everything well.
- Cover & cook for 7 to 8 mins on medium-low flame untill the rajma absorbs all the flavour and aroma from the spices.
- Turn the flame off and cover and let it sit for a couple of minutes before serving. Serve it with jeera rice or parathas along with onion slices and lemon wedges.
Notes
- You can use canned red kidney beans. It will save you time.
- Or just soak the rajma beans in hot water for around 2 to 3 hours and it is good to go.
Step by step Instructions
Soaking and pressure cooking Lobia:
Rinse a cup of rajma under running water and soak it in a large bowl with enough quantity of water for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
After 8 hours, rinse the soaked rajma again under running water and put it in the pressure cooker with 3 cups of water.
Add bay leaf, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, salt, and water in the pressure cooker.
Cover the cooker with lid and pressure cook it for 5 to 6 whistles.
Cook until rajma turns soft and can be mashed easily with your fingers.
Strain the rajma in the colander and keep it aside.
Making Rajma Masala:
In a thick wide bottom kadhai, heat ¼ cup of oil and add bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds.
Saute cumin seeds till it starts spluttering, then add finely chopped onions and saute till it turns translucent.
Then, add finely chopped or grated ginger-garlic, green chillies and hing (asafoetida) and saute till the raw smell of garlic goes away.
Add finely chopped or grated tomatoes in the kadhai and mix and saute till the moisture from tomatoes are evaporated.
Cover & cook the onion-tomato mixture for 5 to 7 mins until all the moisture from tomatoes is evaporated.
Then add all the dry spices – turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, kitchen king masala and amchur or dry mango powder.
Give it a nice mix and saute dry spices with onion-tomato paste for 3 to 4 minutes on medium flame.
After a few minutes, spices and onion-tomato paste will be cooked and now add water to your desired consistency and give it a nice mix.
Once it starts boiling, add the boiled and strained rajma in the kadhai and mix.
Lastly add garam masala, kasuri methi and freshly chopped coriander leaves and mix everything well.
Cover & cook for 7 to 8 mins on medium-low flame until the rajma absorbs all the flavour and aroma from the spices.
Turn the flame off and cover and let it sit for a couple of minutes before serving. Serve it with jeera rice or parathas along with onion slices and lemon wedges.
Important tips to make dal dhokli:
- If you are in a hurry and do not have time to soak red kidney beans, you can use canned beans. It will save you time.
- You can also add store-bought Rajma masala of any good brand.
- Homemade fresh dry roasted and blended spice powder gives an ultimate taste to the gravy.
- You can increase or reduce the amount of red chilli powder and green chillies as per your taste.
- Typically, any gravy recipe tastes better when accompanied with sliced raw onions and lemon wedges.
- It’s very important to soak the rajma beans overnight. Always use fresh rajma as old rajma takes a long time to cook.
- Finally, served it with butter naan, garlic butter naan, jeera rice or even tandoori roti.
Finally, I would like to share my other veg Curry recipes from my blog. This includes Lobia recipe, Dal dhokli recipe, kala chana masala, Dum aloo recipe, Paneer kadhai recipe, Mushroom kadhai gravy recipe, Matar Jhol recipe, spicy misal pav recipe, matar ke chole recipe, etc. Also, go through our Indian bread section for a variety of rotis like Butter naan recipe, palak paratha recipe, kachori recipes and thalipeeth recipe. In addition to this, do visit my other recipes collection from my blog like Main course collection, Breakfast collection, Desserts collection, etc.
Did you try this recipe?
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