Rajma Masala / Kidney Beans Curry

Rajma Masala / Kidney Beans Curry

Rajma Masala / Kidney Beans Curry Recipe

Recipe by Neha NairCourse: MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Medium
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Soak time

8

hours

Another vegetarian and vegan entree called Rajma Masala in which cooked kidney beans (rajma) are sauteed in traditional spicy tomato gravy with lots of Indian spices. It’s a perfect entree which goes really well with rice.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb of dry Rajma or red kidney beans, soaked overnight(or at least 6-8 hours)

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 2 inch of cinnamon stick

  • 3 medium onions, finely chopped

  • 3 large tomatoes, pureed(See note below)

  • 2 inch of ginger, grated fine

  • 1 whole garlic head, peeled and minced

  • 1/2 tsp of turmeric

  • Hot red chilly powder to taste(I used 1 tsp)

  • 2 tsp of Kashmiri red chilly powder or paprika

  • 1 tsp of coriander powder

  • 2 tsp of garam masala

  • 1 tsp of mustard seeds

  • 2 Tbsp of chopped cilantro

  • Salt to taste

  • 1-2 Tbsp of oil

Directions

  • Cook beans in enough water with salt, bay leaves and cinnamon stick till they are soft and tender. Strain the beans and reserve its cooking water. Discard bay leaves and cinnamon.
  • Take 1/4 cup of cooked beans, mash it with the fork to make it smooth paste and keep it aside. It’s for thickening the gravy.
  • Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and add ginger, saute for a minute then stir in the onions, salt and cook for a few minutes.
  • When onions are translucent, add all the dry spices and saute for a minute .
  • Now add garlic and tomatoes and cook them till the oil separates.
  • Stir in the cooked kidney beans and mashed beans which we have kept aside. Then add the reserved cooking liquid(about 2 cups) and cook further for about 5 minutes over low-medium heat.
  • When the gravy is nice and thick, toss in the cilantro and switch off the heat. Serve rajma masala warm with steamed rice.

Notes

  • To make fresh tomato puree, boil 3-4 cups of water in a pan. Put tomatoes in a boiling water and boil for 2-3 mins or until the skin of tomatoes started to tear up. Now take out the tomatoes and let it cool down a little, then peel off the skin and grind them in a food processor.
  • It is perfect with steamed rice or parathas.

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