Rajma Masala – Red Kidney Bean Stew
Flavorful and delicious Red Kidney Stew made with a base of onions, tomatoes and spices also called Rajma Masala or Rajma.
Rajma Chawal (Rice), is very well-known pair of foods. Its filling and healthy too due to protein and fiber in it. Perfect cold weather food, its weeknight meal every few days in my house.
As vegetarians, we depend on lentils, beans for protein intake. This stew is perfect for those who love red kidney beans. There are different types of Rajma varieties available in stores. I prefer the red darker ones.
I soak the rajma for at least 4 hours or overnight. Then, pressure cook them. And while it boils, on the other side of the stove I make the base and then once the rajma is boiled add it. Sometimes, I make Rajma in Instant Pot. Just use slightly less water while making it in Instant Pot.
Like all the bases it has onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and some common spices in them. I like to go heavy on ginger as it really enhances the taste. Sometimes, I boil Rajma and keep it in the freezer. Thaw it as needed or add it to the masala and let it simmer. It’s so convenient.
It’s a popular food from Kashmir and North of India. But luckily, I grew up eating it in our Gujarati household. The Kashmiri preparation is little bit different.
The way I make it is by finely chopping the onions and tomatoes. I don’t like somehow blended onion, tomatoes. But if you like it that way, you can blend them too. Make sure to add garlic and ginger too while blending. I would saute them first and then cool it down a little bit and blend them in blender. However, my mom would grate the onion too on a grater. So many ways to prepare it.
Honestly, I don’t like to use blender and spend extra time cleaning it. Also, extra bits of onions taste better in my opinion.
Simmer it on low heat once you add the boiled rajma. It makes a huge difference in taste. I make rotis or paranthas while they are simmering.
I also add a small potato sometimes, even though you can mash the kidney beans once they are boiled to make the gravy thicker. There is nothing worse than a watery gravy. You want a nice creamy texture.
Rajma -Red Kidney Beans Stew
Ingredients
- 1 cup Red Kidney Beans soaked and boiled, read instructions
- 1 small potato optional
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tbsp ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
- 2 tsp red chili powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- salt or to taste
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- Lemon
Instructions
- Soak kidney beans overnight or at least for 4 hours, completely covered with water. You need more water than you think, as it soaks up and it will swell up.
- Drain the beans and transfer them to a pressure cooker along with potato and add about 1 cup of water and ½ tsp salt.
- Pressure cook for 4 whistles at least on medium heat or until they are well cooked. Let it cool down.
- If using an Instant Pot, pressure cook for around 45 minutes at high pressure with natural pressure release.
- They should be completely soft but should retain some shape. Set aside.
- To a pot, add 2 tablespoons oil on medium heat. Once it becomes hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Then add the chopped onions, followed by garlic, ginger and mix. Cook it for around 5-7 minutes, stirring often until they are translucent.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and mix. Cook it for another 5 minutes.
- Add all the spices one by one – Turmeric, coriander, red chili powder, garam masala and remaining salt.
- Mix and cook on medium-low heat for around 10 mins until you start seeing oil on the sides of the pan.
- Add the boiled beans along with all the water in which they were boiled. Add additional water if you think it needs some more water. I usually end up adding ½ cup water.
- Stir well and set heat to low-medium.
- Let the beans simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. While they are simmering, use the back of the spoon or masher to mash some of the beans. This makes the gravy creamier and thick. Avoids it being all watery.
- Once it has simmered well, and you like the consistency, take it off the heat and garnish it cilantro.
- Serve rajma with rice or rotis with a splash of lemon juice on top and enjoy!
Notes
- Adding potato is optional.
- You can use canned beans, but I always prefer soaked and boiled beans at home.
- As always, spices can also be adjusted to your preference.
XO, Devangi
Hi. I have neither a pressure cooker or an IP. I cook all my beans at home in pot on the stove, and then freeze them to use later. If using already cooked beans, what is approximately the total amount of water to add when adding in the beans (the same question would go for someone using canned beans). I’ll just eyeball it based on your photographs, but I’d love to have an idea. Thanks! This looks delicious.
Hi, I would add at least 1 cup of water to 15 oz bean, approx 1.5 cooked beans. Then depending on the consistency you prefer can add more. I hope that helps. Thank you.