Rajma Recipe (Rajma Masala)

Method11 steps · about 8 hr 50 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose dried or canned beans. For dried beans, rinse 1 cup, soak in 4 cups water for 8–12 hours, then drain and rinse again. For canned beans, drain and rinse two 15 oz cans, about 3 cups beans, and skip pressure cooking. Chop or grate 120 g onions, or boil and purée them, discarding the boiling water. Purée 300 g fresh tomatoes, or use 1 cup canned tomato purée instead.

   Uses one cup dry beans ONLY pressure-cooked route · ready beans from two15oz cans ONLY instead dry beans · 4 cup water · separate bean rinsing or optional onion-boiling water; discard · 120 g onions, chopped or grated, or boiled and puréed · 300g fresh tomatoes ONLY chosen puree route · one cup canned tomato puree ONLY instead fresh tomatoes

2. 2

   Step 2: Dried beans: choose separate pressure cooking or the complete one-pot Instant Pot route. For separate cooking, pressure cook the soaked beans with 1½ cups fresh water for 4–5 stovetop whistles or 12–16 minutes in the Instant Pot, then release pressure naturally and continue to step 3. For the one-pot route, sauté 2–3 tbsp ghee or oil with the optional cumin and bay leaf. Add the prepared onion, optional chili and ½ tsp salt; cook about 5 minutes until golden. Add 1½ tsp ginger-garlic paste, or 1 tsp each fresh ginger and garlic (1 tsp); cook 30–60 seconds. Stir in the initial chili powder (½–1 tsp), garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric. Cancel Sauté, add the soaked beans and 2 cups water, and scrape the base clean. Place the prepared tomato purée in a heat-safe bowl on a trivet above the beans. Seal and pressure cook on HIGH for 18 minutes, then release naturally. The beans must mash easily; cook longer if needed. Mix in the cooked tomato purée on Sauté for 2–3 minutes, adding up to ½–¾ cup hot water if needed. Cancel and go directly to step 10, skipping steps 3–9.

   Uses ONLY complete IP route, cook separately on trivet then mix · ONLY complete IP route · ONLY same dry-bean route after discarded soak water · 1½cups water ONLY classic separate bean pressure cooking · two cups water ONLY complete one-pot IP · 2–3 tbsp ghee or oil; one-pot Instant Pot route · 1 optional bay leaf; one-pot Instant Pot route · ½ tsp optional cumin seeds; one-pot Instant Pot route

3. 3

   Step 3: For separately pressure-cooked beans, open after pressure releases naturally. Check that a bean mashes easily while the others hold their shape. If still firm, pressure cook longer. Keep the cooked beans with their cooking liquid.

   Uses ONLY separate pressure-bean route, not finished one-pot curry

4. 4

   Step 4: Stovetop routes only: heat 2–3 tbsp ghee or oil with the optional bay leaf and ½ tsp cumin seeds. Add the prepared onion and optional green chili.

   Uses ONLY classic/canned route, not IP onions again · 2–3 tbsp ghee or oil; stovetop route · 1 optional bay leaf; stovetop route · ½ tsp optional cumin seeds; stovetop route · 1 optional green chili; stovetop route

5. 5

   Step 5: Sauté until the onion is golden. Add 1½ tsp ginger-garlic paste, or 1 tsp each minced ginger and garlic, and cook for about 1 minute until aromatic.

   Uses same selected main-fat aromatic base · 1½tsp paste ONLY classic paste route · teaspoon ginger ONLY paired fresh route · teaspoon garlic ONLY paired fresh route

6. 6

   Step 6: Add the prepared fresh or canned tomato purée. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring, until thick and the raw tomato aroma disappears.

   Uses ONLY classic route, same fresh OR canned puree · same selected paste/fresh route

7. 7

   Step 7: Add ½ tsp salt, ½–1 tsp chili powder, ¾ tsp garam masala, 1½–2 tsp coriander powder, ¾–1 tsp cumin powder and ¼ tsp turmeric. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until aromatic.

   Uses same cooked selected tomato base · ½–1 tsp chili powder; stovetop route · ¾ tsp initial garam masala; stovetop route · 1½–2 tsp coriander powder; stovetop route · ¾–1 tsp cumin powder; stovetop route · ¼ tsp turmeric; stovetop route · ½ tsp initial salt; stovetop route

8. 8

   Step 8: Add either the separately cooked beans with their cooking liquid, or the drained canned beans. With pressure-cooked beans, add ½–1 cup hot water only as needed. With canned beans, start with 1 cup hot water and add a little more if needed for a simmering gravy.

   Uses ONLY selected canned route instead dry beans · ONLY fully cooked same dry beans · same base after initial seasoning · ½–1cup hot water ONLY classic already-cooked dry beans · one cup initial gravy water ONLY canned beans · Extra hot water for canned-bean gravy, only as needed

9. 9

   Step 9: Simmer for 10–15 minutes until slightly thick. For a thicker gravy, take about 1 tbsp cooked beans from the pot, mash them and stir them back in.

   Simmer Rajma · 15 minUses same chosen beans/gravy/retained fluid

10. 10

    Step 10: Finish the cooked stovetop or one-pot curry with ½–1 tbsp crushed kasuri methi. Taste and add up to ½ tsp extra salt and ¼–½ tsp extra garam masala if needed. Choose one optional finish: stir in 2–3 tbsp heavy cream; or slightly cool ¼ cup of this curry, blend with ¼ cup cream or malai, and return the purée to the pot. For a Dhaba tadka instead, heat 1½ tbsp separate ghee, add ½ tsp cumin seeds, 2 dried chilies, 2 slit green chilies and 1 tsp julienned ginger, and fry gently for 1–2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add a large pinch of asafoetida and optional ¼ tsp chili powder, and pour into the curry. Garnish with 2 tbsp coriander and optional ginger juliennes.

    Uses ONLY complete IP route instead classic · ONLY classic/canned route instead complete IP · ½ to 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) · Few Ginger juliennes ( (optional)) · 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (fine chopped) · 0.5 tsp salt · ¼–½ tsp extra finish garam masala · 2–3 tbsp heavy cream, only for the simple cream finish

11. 11

    Step 11: Add optional lemon juice to taste and serve hot. Prepared rice is an optional accompaniment.

    Uses same batch with only chosen optional finishing route · lemon juice as desired at serving