Recipes / Rajma chawal
Punjab and Delhi
Rajma chawal
Sunday lunch in half the homes in North India. The beans should be soft enough to mash, the masala cooked down until it is deep and glossy, and the rice plain, so the rajma does all the talking.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min + overnight soak
- Cook
- 1 hr 15 min
Method
- Drain the soaked beans and pressure-cook them with 3 cups of fresh water and 1 tsp salt: first whistle on high heat, then 20 minutes on low. They must be completely soft. Undercooked kidney beans can make you ill, so if they are still firm, cook them longer.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pan. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf, then the onions. Cook, stirring, until they turn a deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. This is where the colour and flavour come from.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and cook for a minute. Add the tomato purée, turmeric, coriander and chilli powder. Cook until the masala darkens and the oil separates, about 10 minutes.
- Add the beans with their cooking liquid. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Mash a few beans against the side of the pan to thicken the gravy.
- Meanwhile, rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak it for 20 minutes. Boil it in a big pot of salted water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes, then drain.
- Stir the garam masala and coriander into the rajma, check the salt, and serve over the rice.
Roop’s notes
- Smaller, darker Kashmiri or Jammu rajma cooks softer and creamier than the large kidney beans, if you can find them.
- A spoon of ghee over the rice at the table is traditional.
- Serve with sliced onion, lemon and a bowl of plain yogurt.
