Red kidney beans are known as Rajma in Hindi. Rajma chawal is one of the most popular North Indian dishes, prepared often in Punjabi households. Rajma masala is a mildly spiced red kidney bean curry made with onions, tomatoes, and basic Indian spices. It is wholesome, and a great way to get some proteins in your diet. More often than not, I do end up making the Punjabi version of Rajma masala. Or else I make some kidney bean patties or salad or throw it in some tortillas to make a quick bean and cheese quesadilla. While I love Punjabi Rajma masala, I also wanted to try something different for a change. While scouring the web for some interesting recipes, I came across this hot and sweet kidney beans recipe and it looked very appetizing. The most appealing thing about this dish is its flavor profile, the two flavors- ‘hot’ & ‘sweet’ which are the kind of flavors I prefer in my food, some sweetness with a little heat. The maple syrup adds a nice sweet and smoky flavor to this rajma curry!
HOW TO MAKE RAJMA?
Start off by soaking the dried red kidney beans 8-10 hours or overnight. Next morning, pressure cook until they are tender, but still have a bite. While the beans are cooking, start preparing the basic onion-tomato masala base seasoned with spices. Then throw in the cooked beans, ketchup, maple syrup and let everything simmer for a good 15-20 minutes for all those amazing flavors to mingle and marry. Enjoy this simple yet tantalizing kidney bean curry with some plain steamed rice as we did, or it would even pair well with roti or paratha.
HOW TO MAKE RAJMA CURRY THICK?
You need to saute the onion-tomato mixture really well until it is reduced to a thick masala. This will be indicated by the oil oozing out from the sides of the masala. Secondly, it is important to let the curry simmer for about 15-20 minutes after you add the cooked beans to the prepared masala. Mash some beans with the back of a ladle, this releases the starch required to thicken the curry. If the curry is too thick, add some water to thin it out. If it is too runny, continue simmering uncovered, until it thickens to your desired consistency. Are you on a lookout for some different kidney bean recipe? Then you should definitely try this easy rajma recipe, I’m sure you will enjoy it.
LOVED THIS RAJMA RECIPE? HERE ARE SOME MORE PUNJABI RECIPES FOR YOU TO TRY
Matar Paneer Kadhi Pakora Paneer Makhani Paneer Kali Mirch
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE RAJMA
1.Wash and soak the dried red kidney beans overnight with sufficient water, cover 2 to 3 inches above the beans. 2.Next morning, pressure-cook the drained beans with sufficient water on high heat for 2 whistles then reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 15 minutes. Once the pressure has stabilized, open the cooker and check if the beans are cooked. They should be soft to touch. Reserve the stock. 3.Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan; add all the whole spices, cumin seeds, and onions. Sauté on medium-low heat till the onions turn translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.
4.Add the minced ginger garlic and sauté till the ginger garlic is fragrant.
5.Add the tomato puree or chopped tomatoes along with the cayenne pepper, cumin powder, black pepper powder, curry powder and 1/4 cup of water, cook stirring on medium-low heat until the water evaporates and oil is separated from sides of the pan.
6.Add the cooked red kidney beans along with a cup of the reserved stock; add more water if required, if you find the stock less.
7.Let the beans come to a boil, add the ketchup, maple syrup, and salt, give everything a good stir. 8.Cover the pot and let it simmer on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the desired consistency is achieved. You may mash some beans with the back of the ladle to make the curry thicker. 9.Once done, transfer to a serving dish, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Serve with steamed rice or any Indian flatbread.
NOTES 1.How to cook rajma/kidney beans without a pressure cooker? Add 8 to 10 cups of water in a large pot, put in the soaked and drained beans, season with salt. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are well done. Keep checking the water level, to avoid drying the beans. 2.If you are using canned beans, drain them well and add them directly to the prepared masala. 3.I’ve replaced maple syrup with honey a couple of times when I’ve run out of maple syrup, and it still tasted delicious, of course, the maple syrup is an important element in this dish which also gives it a distinct smoky flavor, but honey can be a good substitute for the sweetness. 4.I’ve tried this dish earlier with tomato puree instead of chopped tomatoes, and the final outcome was the same as using chopped tomatoes, the only thing with using tomato puree is the rich red color that comes from using it.
HOW TO MAKE HOT AND SWEET KIDNEY BEANS?
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