Rajma

Ingredients

Beans

• 400 gdried red kidney beans
• 1 tspsalt
• 1bay leaf

Base

• 4 tbspghee or oil
• 1 tspcumin seed
• 3onions, very finely chopped
• 1 tbspginger garlic paste
• 4tomatoes, puréed

Spice

• 1 tspturmeric
• 2 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspred chilli powder
• 1 tspgaram masala
• 1 tspamchur or a squeeze of lemon
• salt

To finish

• 2 tbspcream, optional
• 1 tspkasuri methi
• coriander leaves
• sliced onion and green chilli

To serve

• steamed basmati rice

Directions

1. Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain them and throw the soaking water away, then rinse them. Cover with fresh water, bring to a rolling boil and boil hard for 10 minutes with the lid off. Now simmer them, or pressure cook them, until they are completely soft.
2. Cook them until a bean crushes to paste between your fingers with no resistance at all. Firm rajma is unpleasant and the gravy will not thicken. Keep the cooking liquid, which is the base of the gravy. Never drain the beans and use fresh water.
3. Chop the onions extremely finely, close to a mince. Fine chopping matters because the onions must dissolve completely into the gravy, and any large piece stays as a lump.
4. Heat the ghee and crackle the cumin seeds. Add the onions and cook them for a full 15 to 20 minutes over a medium heat. Take them well past soft, to a deep golden brown. This is the base of the whole dish and pale onions give a thin, flat gravy.
5. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell has gone. Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin and chilli powder and fry 30 seconds. Cook the tomato until the oil separates and pools at the edges of the pan. That separation is the sign the masala is properly cooked, and it takes 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mashing perhaps a quarter of the beans thickens the gravy naturally, and it is what separates a good rajma from beans floating in a thin sauce. Keep simmering until the gravy has thickened and coats the beans. Add the garam masala and amchur at the end. Garam masala goes in late, because its aroma cooks off if it simmers for long.
7. Crush the kasuri methi between your palms and stir it in. Stir in the cream if using and season. Rest it 10 minutes off the heat. Serve it over steamed rice, which is the fixed pairing, with sliced raw onion and green chilli.

Technique

• Kashmiri and Jammu rajma are small and dark and are considered the best.
• Tinned kidney beans are already fully cooked and are safe to use straight from the tin.
• It freezes well and thickens further, so loosen it with water.

Substitutions

• Two tins of kidney beans, drained, which removes the safety concern entirely.
• Oil in place of ghee for a vegan version.

Variations

• Kashmiri rajma, with fennel and dried ginger powder.
• With a spoonful of yoghurt in place of cream.
• Made drier, as a side rather than a gravy.

History

Kidney beans in tomato gravy with rice; the beans are a New World crop that entered north Indian cooking after Columbian-era trade.

Frequently asked questions

What is Rajma?

Rajma is a main from India: kidney-bean curry ladled over steamed rice, north Indian comfort. Kidney beans in tomato gravy with rice; the beans are a New World crop that entered north Indian cooking after Columbian-era trade.

How long does Rajma take to make?

Rajma takes 15 min plus overnight soaking of preparation and 1 hr 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Rajma?

Yes, within limits. Two tins of kidney beans, drained, which removes the safety concern entirely. Oil in place of ghee for a vegan version.

What is the most important thing to get right in Rajma?

Cook them until a bean crushes to paste between your fingers with no resistance at all. Firm rajma is unpleasant and the gravy will not thicken. Keep the cooking liquid, which is the base of the gravy. Never drain the beans and use fresh water.