RAJMA RECIPE

The dish for today is famous rajma from the rajma-chawal combo. This is another favourite pick of many Indian cuisine lovers. It do need a little effort but is not too hard to give a try. Just follow the steps below and enjoy a delicious Indian lunch.

Preparation Time: 8 hours

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

•     1 cup Kidney beans (rajma)

•     2 tbsp cooking oil

•     1 tsp cumin seeds

•     1 onion (finely chopped)

•     1 inch ginger (peeled and chopped)

•     2 tomatoes (finely chopped)

•     2 green chillies (sliced) (or as per taste)

•     1/4 tsp turmeric powder

•     1 tbsp coriander powder

•     1 tbsp dry mango (amchur) powder

•     salt to taste

•     finely chopped cilantro for garnish

For spice bag

•     3 cloves

•     2 whole green cardamoms

•     1 inch cinnamon stick

•     4 black pepper

Preparation Instructions:

• Soak kidney beans (rajma) overnight.

• Wash them with clean water in the morning or daytime (whenever you want to cook them) for pressure cooking.

• Tie the ingredients mentioned above for spice bag inside a cheesecloth and put it inside the pressure cooker with rajma and some water.

• Pressure cook the rajma for 4 to 5 whistles. Don’t over cook. While the pressure releases, prepare gravy.

• Heat oil in a wok and add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds begin to change colour, add onions.

• When onions become transparent, add ginger and green chillies. Fry for few minutes before adding tomatoes.

• Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander powder, amchur and salt to taste and cook till tomatoes become soft.

• Add boiled rajma to this gravy. Don’t forget to remove the spice bag. You can discard the spice bag.

• Add the remaining water of boiled rajma and cook for 5 minutes. You can also add some more water if you want. Mash some (not all) rajma to make the gravy thick.

• Turn off the stove and garnish it with chopped cilantro leaves.

• Serve hot rajma with steamed rice and plain yogurt or raita.

Tips:

• You can also used canned kidney beans.

• Adding spice bag to rajma is optional. It only adds a flavour and fragrance to the dish. However, some people love rajma simple.