Indian Kidney Bean Food

RAJMA (KIDNEY BEAN CURRY)

Steps:

• Place the kidney beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse.
• Grind the onion, ginger, and garlic into a paste using a mortar and pestle.
• Heat the oil and ghee together in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Fry the red chile peppers, cumin seeds, and whole cloves in the hot oil until the cumin seeds begin to splutter; stir the onion paste into the mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Season with the ground turmeric, ground cumin, and ground coriander; continue cooking for a few more seconds before adding the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are completely tender.
• Add the drained kidney beans to the pressure cooker with enough water to cover; pour the 2 cups water additionally to the cooker. Add the sugar and salt. Close the pressure cooker and bring to 15 pounds of pressure; cook about 40 minutes. Lower the heat to low and cook another 10 to 15 minutes. Release the pressure and open the cooker. Stir the garam masala and ground red pepper into the bean mixture; garnish with chopped cilantro to serve.

RAJMA (INDIAN RED KIDNEY BEAN CURRY)

Steps:

• In a medium pot, heat oil. When hot, add cumin.
• Once the cumin begins to brown, add the garlic and ginger. Let it cook for 1 min, stir constantly.
• Add onions and stir until onion turns clear and add the tomato sauce.
• Keep stirring the sauce until it's slightly thickens and begins to separate a bit from the oil.
• Add the Rajma masala, salt and chili powder and stirl for 2-3 minutes.
• Last, throw in the two cans of kidney beans, undrained. Let it cook for 5-6 mins, stirring occasionally.
• You adjust the spices accordingly, while tasting along.
• Serve with some sliced onions, a lemon wedge and garnish with some chopped coriander. Enjoy!

KIDNEY BEAN CURRY - SOUTH INDIAN STYLE

Steps:

• In a large frying pan put the oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and dried red chili and heat over high heat until the mustard seeds have popped for about 10 seconds AND the dal is light brown.
• Quickly stir in the hing and onion. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium and stir in the green bell peppers and cook another 3-4 minutes.
• Add the minced serrano chilies (less if you don't want it too hot) and after 2 minutes, add the tomatoes. If your tomatoes aren't very juicy or ripe, you can add some tomato sauce to give the curry a good tomato flavor. {I usually keep some tomato sauce in a plastic bag in the freezer and just cut off what I need for something like this.] Cook 3 more minutes, adding a bit of water if the curry gets too dry.
• Add the kidney beans (and water as needed) and cook another 1-2 minutes until everything has married.
• Stir in the the turmeric, curry powder, garam masala (optional) and salt. Check to adjust spices.
• Turn off heat and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
• This curry actually tastes best if made earlier in the day and allowed to sit for several hours.
• Can be eaten with either plain boiled rice or Indian bread. A raita along side would also be nice.

RAJMA (NORTH INDIAN KIDNEY BEAN MASALA)

Steps:

• Drain beans and rinse thoroughly.
• Combine beans, half the garlic, half the minced onion, and salt in a 4-6 qt slow cooker with 3 1/2 cups water.
• Puree remaining garlic, ginger, Serrano chiles, turmeric, and paprika with 2 tablespoons water in food processor; set paste aside.
• Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chile de arbol, coriander, cumin, and cinnamon; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add remaining minced onion; cook until browned, about 1 minute.
• Add paste; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook until liquid has mostly evaporated, about 12 minutes.
• Add tomato mixture, cilantro, garam masala, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to beans in slow cooker. Mix well and check level of the water. Add more water, if necessary, so that there is at least 1 inch above level of the bean mixture. Cook on low for 7-8 hours and on high for 4-5 hours.
• Serve over rice and garnish with sliced red onion.

KIDNEY BEAN CHILI, INDIAN STYLE (RAJMA IN MASALA)

Steps:

• Wash the kidney beans well and soak in water overnight.
• Next morning, steam them until tender; or cook in a large pot of water for about an hour or until tender.
• Remove 1/2 cup of cooked beans, crush coarsely and keep aside.
• Grind 1 onion, ginger, coriander seeds, chili peppers, cumin, turmeric, peppercorns, and cinnamon to a very fine paste.
• Heat ghee in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add the chopped onions and saute until golden brown.
• Add the ground paste and saute, sprinkling water occasionally, until the ghee starts separating from the paste.
• Add the cooked beans (not the crushed beans), stir for a while and add salt and dried mango powder.
• Pour 3 cups of water and add the crushed beans.
• Mix well and bring to a boil, twice.
• Serve hot over steamed rice, chappatis, or whole-wheat tortillas.