Rajma Curry or Rajma Masala

Preparing Rajma Curry or Rajma Masala involves cooking Red Kidney Beans and you go through several steps as detailed below, although the preparation overall is quite simple. Rajma curry goes well with both Rice as well as Indian breads like Chapati/Roti.

Commonly part of buffet lunches at restaurants and also family functions, this healthy North Indian dish can be a tasty addition to your weekly menu. Virtually fat free, Kidney beans or Rajma is rich in cholesterol lowering fiber and the fiber can help stabilize blood sugar levels for people suffering from Diabetes. Rajma is rich in Iron, reduces tiredness and can be a rich source of Protein for vegetarians. Kidney beans are also rich in Magnesium which is known to promote heart health. Read more about health benefits and nutritive value of Rajma here.

Rajma Curry or Rajma Masala

Time to Prepare: 30 min

How to Make Rajma Curry or Rajma Masala:

1. Soak the Rajma Or Red Kidney Beans in water overnight (or for 7-8 hours early in the day) and pressure cook the Rajma or Kidney Bean with water, a pinch of cooking Soda and pinch of Salt until you hear 7-8 whistles.

2. Once the pressure ease, remove the vessel from Pressure Cooker. Discard the water used for cooking and use only the cooked Rajma or Red Kidney Beans. Take around 15-20 cooked Rajma or Red Kidney Beans (when it is quite hot) and blend it in a mixer grinder to a smooth paste; Keep aside.

3. You need a total of 3 Onions to prepare this curry. Finely chop one of these three Onions and keep aside. Cut the other two Onions into pieces and prepare Onion paste by grinding the pieces in a mixer grinder.

4. Chop Tomatoes and grind them in a mixer grinder to smooth paste. Filter the paste to obtain Tomato Puree. Keep aside.

5. Heat Oil in a pan, add Jeera or Cumin Seeds, once the seeds splutter/crackle, add Onion Paste from Step 3 above to the pan and fry until the Onion Paste turns its color to light golden brown and the Oil starts to float on the top of the Onion Paste.

6. Now add Ginger + Garlic Paste to the pan and fry until the smell of the Ginger + Garlic paste disappears. Now add chopped Green Chillies and fry for 2-3 minutes.

7. Then to the pan, add Tomato Puree (prepared as part of Step 4), dry powders like Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala or Rajma Curry Masala (I have used Garam Masala), Chilli Powder, Sugar, Salt and Rajma Paste from Step 2 above and a cup of fresh water, cooked Rajma or Red Kidney Beans and cook for 10-15 minutes in the pan. Cook until the gravy turns a little thick. The Rajma gravy is now ready. The Rajma Curry Masala is available in all major departmental stores but Garam is fine too.

8. Heat Ghee in a small frying pan, add finely chopped Onions from Step 3 and fry until the Onions turn golden brown in color. Now add this to the Rajma gravy prepared in the previous step. Mix well with a spatula so that the Ghee mixes well with all the other ingredients.

Rajma Curry or Rajma Masala

9. Finally sprinkle some finely chopped Coriander/Cilantro and garnish with Fresh Cream or Cream on top of the Boiled Milk.

Now the Red Kidney Beans Curry is ready. Serve Rajma Curry or Rajma Masala hot with Chapati, Roti, Naan, Kulcha.

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