Meals · Punjab

Rajma Chawal

Punjab's Sunday lunch: red kidney beans simmered soft in an onion-tomato masala until the gravy turns thick and creamy, ladled over steamed basmati.

Prep 15 min · Cook 60 min · Total 75 min + 8 hr soak · Serves 4

Ingredients

Rajma

• 1 cup Red kidney beans (rajma)
• 3 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 2 Onions, finely chopped
• 1 inch Ginger, grated
• 5 cloves Garlic, grated
• 2 Green chillies, chopped
• 3 Tomatoes, pureed
• ½ tsp Turmeric
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 1 ½ tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped

Rice

• 1 ½ cups Basmati rice
• ½ tsp Salt

Method

1. Cook the beans. Drain the rajma and pressure-cook with 3 cups fresh water for 6 to 7 whistles, then let the pressure drop on its own. A bean should squash easily between your fingers. In a pot, simmer covered for about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Fry the masala. Heat the oil, add the cumin, bay leaf and cinnamon, then the onions. Fry on medium until deep golden, then add the ginger, garlic and chillies for a minute.
3. Add the tomatoes. Add the tomato puree, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Cook, stirring, until the masala thickens and oil shows at the edges.
4. Simmer together. Tip in the beans with their cooking water. Mash a ladleful against the side of the pot and simmer uncovered until the gravy is thick and creamy. Stir in the garam masala and coriander.
5. Cook the rice. Boil the drained rice in plenty of salted water until just tender, then drain and let it steam, covered, for 5 minutes.
6. Serve. Ladle the rajma over the rice, with sliced onion, a wedge of lemon and a spoon of pickle on the side.

Tips

Rajma tastes better the next day. Old beans never soften properly, so buy from a shop with good turnover and don't add the salt until the beans are cooked.