Punjabi Rajma Masala Recipe Rajma Chawalspiced Red Kidney Beans Curry Food

RAJMA RECIPE (PUNJABI RAJMA MASALA)

Steps:

• Add rajma to a large bowl and rinse them well with water thrice. Drain and soak them in enough water for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours. Do not cover the bowl while you soak. You may spread a thin cotton cloth so the beans don't turn sticky.
• When you are ready to cook, drain the water and rinse them very well with fresh water at least twice and drain completely.
• Chop the onions finely and puree the tomatoes. Keep them aside.
• Add ghee or oil to a pressure cooker. Heat it on a medium heat.
• When the ghee melts, saute ginger garlic and green chilies for a minute just until it begins to smell good.
• Add the chopped onions and sprinkle salt. Saute until the onions turn golden and about to caramelize.
• Turn off the stove. Now add all the spices - red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric.
• Mix everything well and add drained rajma and pour 2 ¼ cups water. Mix everything well and loosen any bits of spices or onions stuck at the bottom of the cooker.
• Cover the pressure cooker and cook on a medium heat until you hear 4 to 6 whistles, depending on the kind of pressure cooker and the age of your rajma.
• While the rajma cooks, pour the tomato puree to a small pot or pan and cook it on a medium heat, for 6 to 7 mins until the raw smell disappears completely. Keep the pan slightly covered to prevent splatters. Keep this aside.
• When the pressure in the cooker drops, open the lid and check. Rajma will be fully cooked. To check mash a rajma, it has to be soft and get mashed very well. It should not have a bite to it. If you think they are undercooked, simply cook for a few more whistles.
• Add the cooked tomato puree to the hot rajma and mix well. If required you may add more hot boiling water to adjust the consistency.
• Bring this to a boil and cook for 3 to 4 mins, until it reaches a desired consistency. Taste test and add more salt and garam masala if required. Crush kasuri methi in your hands and sprinkle it. Stir in the cream (optional).
• Garnish rajma masala with chopped coriander leaves and ginger juliennes.
• Press Saute button and Pour ghee to the steel insert. Add ginger garlic and chilies. Saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Add onions and salt. Saute for about 5 minutes stirring constantly to cook evenly until golden, about to caramelize.
• Add all the spice powders and press cancel. Stir well. Add rajma and pour 2 cups water. Deglaze to release any bits of food stuck at the bottom.
• Place a trivet and keep the bowl of tomato puree over that. Secure the IP with the lid and pressure cook for 20 mins (for softer beans, if you prefer al dente - 18 mins).
• When the pressure drops, open the IP. Rajma is super soft. Pour the tomato puree and cook for 2 to 3 mins on saute mode. If required pour about ½ to ¾ cup water to bring to runny consistency. Taste test and add more salt, ¼ teaspoon garam masala, cream (optional) and crushed kasuri methi. Press cancel.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and ginger juliennes. Serve rajma with chawal. Drizzle some lemon juice.
• To Cook Rajma in a pot without cooker: Soak 1 cup rajma in water overnight with ¾ teaspoon salt or ¾ teaspoon baking soda. Rinse well. Pour 3 cups water and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat & Cook uncovered until tender and soft. Or alternately use 2 - 15 Oz cans, drain the liquid and rinse them well. Rajma should be soft and has to easily get mashed.
• To Pressure Cook: Pour 2 cups water to overnight soaked rajma and pressure cook until soft, for 4 to 5 whistles. Or in the instant pot for 18 mins.
• Optional - You may boil the diced onions for 3 to 4 minutes and then puree to a smooth paste in a grinder. For the tomato puree you may add 2 tablespoons cooked rajma for a thicker texture. Both these will give you smooth gravy but are optional.
• Heat ghee in a pan or pot. Saute ginger garlic and green chilli for 1 minute, without burning.
• On a medium heat, saute onions with salt until golden and about to get caramelized, but not burnt. Add the spices - chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric.
• Stir well and add tomato puree. Cook on a medium heat stirring constantly until the onion tomato masala thickens and begins to smell aromatic. It should lose the raw flavor of tomatoes.
• Add the rajma along with the stock (rajma cooked water). Pour ¼ to ½ cup more water or as required. Mix well and simmer for 10 to 15 mins, until slightly thick. (If using canned beans, use more water as required to bring it to a consistency).
• Taste test and add more salt, ¼ teaspoon garam masala if required and crushed kasuri methi. Optionally you may stir in cream and garnish with coriander leaves and ginger juliennes. Squeeze some lemon juice. Serve rajma with chawal.

RAJMA MASALA CURRY RECIPE

Steps:

• Thoroughly wash rajma (beans) to remove any dirt and debris. Soak them in water for 6-8 hours or overnight.
• Drain the water and transfer soaked beans into a 2-3 liter capacity pressure cooker. Add 1¾ cups water and salt; close the lid and pressure cook over medium flame until it turns soft, for around 4-5 whistles. Turn off the flame and let the pressure release naturally (around 5-7 minutes) before opening the lid. Don't open the lid immediately as beans may not have cooked fully yet and steam inside pressure cooker will continue to cook them. Check the beans for softness, if they are not soft, cook them more for 2 whistles (if required add more water). Drain excess water from cooked beans and keep both water and Rajma aside for later use.
• Heat 2-tablespoons oil in a pan (or kadai) over medium flame. When oil is medium hot, add 1 small piece of bay leaf, 1-inch long piece of Cinnamon, 1 green cardamom and 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, sauté for 30 seconds. Add chopped onion and sauté until onion turns translucent. Add 1-teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and 1 green chilli.
• Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
• Add chopped tomato and salt.
• Sauté until tomatoes turn soft, it will take around 3-4 minutes. Add 1-teaspoon red chilli powder and 1-teaspoon cumin-coriander powder.
• Mix well and sauté for a minute.
• Add boiled kidney beans and mix well.
• Add 1-cup water (or little more) (drained water from step-2 + normal water) and mix well. Mash some beans with the backside of a spoon to thicken the gravy and improve taste and texture. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until gravy turns thick. Gravy would thicken more as it cools down, so do not cook it until it turns very thick. Taste for the salt at this stage and add more if required.
• Add 1/4 cup milk (or 2 tablespoons fresh cream).
• If you are adding milk, cook for 2-3 minutes and turn off the flame. If you are adding fresh cream, mix well and turn off the flame. Rajma masala curry is ready; transfer it to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

PUNJABI RAJMA MASALA

Steps:

• Wash the rajma under running cold water until the water runs clear. Or rinse them with tap water 2-3 times or until the water is not cloudy anymore.
• Soak in enough water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking water.
• Take soaked beans along with fresh water in the pressure cooker (or instant pot).Pressure cooker: 1 whistle on High heat then reduce to Low and cook for 10 minutes.Instant pot: Manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes.
• NOTE: The cooked rajma should be soft and mashed easily when pressed between finger and thumb. Some of them may open up and those will help in making thick gravy.
• Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add bay leaf and saute for 30 seconds.
• Then add chopped onions and sprinkle some salt to speed up the cooking process. Cook the onions until they are light brown in color.
• Add ginger and garlic paste. Saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
• Add tomato puree, mix well and let it cook. Cook until all the moisture evaporates and oil starts to leave the sides of the pan. Do stir in between to make sure that it is not sticking to the pan.
• Add spice powders (Turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder, garam masala, amchur). Mix well and cook for a minute.
• Then add Boiled rajma along with its water. To get more thick gravy, mash few rajma with the back of the spoon or spatula.
• Mix well and let it simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Check the salt and other spices. If gravy is too thick then add some water and bring it to a boil. If gravy to too thin and watery then let it simmer for few more minutes or until you get your desire gravy consistency.

PUNJABI RAJMA (KIDNEY BEANS)

Steps:

• Rinse and drain kidney beans.
• Heat the oil on medium to medium high.
• Add cumin seeds, ginger, and chilies. Sautee until cumin seeds darken, about one minute, or how you like.
• Add tomatoes with the water from the can. Simmer uncovered until the liquid has reduced quite a bit, again to your preference. The longer you simmer, the tastier it will be!
• Add the rest of the spices and mix well.
• Add the kidney beans and mix well.
• Add the water. Simmer uncovered until the liquid has evaporated to the consistency you like. Feel free to add more water, or add less to begin with.
• About 15 minutes before you expect it to finished, add the chopped cilantro and stir.
• Garnish with the rest of the cilantro when you are ready to eat it!

RAJMAH (PUNJABI CURRIED RED KIDNEY BEAN) (SLOW-COOKER)

Steps:

• Safety note: This is not part of the recipe, but it is information that has recently been highlighted in various places. Dry beans, especially dry red kidney beans, contain a toxin called Phytohaemagglutinin, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Soaking and boiling dry beans helps remove this toxin to make beans safe to eat -- in a slow cooker, the temperature never gets hot enough to heat up dry beans sufficiently [source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration]. They recommend that you first soak them for a minimum of 12 hours, rinse them, and then boil them for 10 minutes. Singla has said that the long cooking here has the same effect, but if you have any concerns, please use these instructions, and expect the beans to finish cooking more quickly. Use less water if you start with soaked beans.
• Put all ingredients except the cilantro and the rice into a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Cook on High for 11 hours, until the beans break down and the whole is somewhat creamy. (Several people have mentioned that it seems watery, so you might want to try less water - definitely less water if beans were pre-soaked).
• If you can find them, remove the cloves and the cinnamon stick. If the beans are not as creamy as you want them, stick your immersion blender in there and whir a bit. (Or remove about one cup of the beans and process in blender or food processor). Most of the beans should remain whole.
• Stir in cilantro and serve over rice.
• Optional: Stir in 1 cup yogurt, cover and let sit for 10 minutes, for a tangy twist.
• Use a 3 1/2 quart slow cooker if making half the quantity.