Punjabi Red Beans With Mango Pickle Masala Food

BAKED RAJMA (PUNJABI-STYLE RED BEANS WITH CREAM)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Quarter the onion, then thinly slice one portion. Set aside sliced onion. Add the remaining onion to a food processor, along with the garlic, chile and ginger. Purée until fairly smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• In a large, deep ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium. Add the cumin seeds and cook until lightly toasted, about 30 seconds. Add the onion mixture and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid has evaporated and the mixture is just starting to take on a golden color, 8 to 10 minutes.
• While the mixture cooks, purée the canned tomatoes and their juices, if using diced, chopped or whole tomatoes.
• Add the beans and chile powder to the onion mixture, and mix well. Use a fork to mash a tablespoon or so of the beans against the side of the skillet to help thicken the sauce.
• Add the crushed or puréed tomatoes and garam masala to the beans, and mix well. Drizzle the top with cream or scatter with cheese, then slide into the oven and bake, uncovered, until the sauce has thickened and the top is lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Prepare the pickle: While the beans are baking, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Transfer 1/4 cup hot water to a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the reserved onion slices to the boiling water in the saucepan, turn off the heat and, after 1 minute, drain the onion. Transfer the softened onion to the small bowl and stir in the vinegar.
• When the beans are ready, fish out the pickled onion slices and arrange on top, letting a few drops of the pickling liquid flick over the beans to season them. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice, buttered toast or flour tortillas.

PUNJABI RED BEANS WITH MANGO PICKLE MASALA

Steps:

• 1. In a pressure cooker, soak the red beans, mango pickle masala, and salt in the hot water, about 6 hours, or until the beans swell up and become much lighter in color. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook 30 seconds more. Remove from the heat and allow the pot to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully open the lid and check to see if the beans are very soft with some of them broken if not, cover, bring up to pressure, and cook under high pressure another minute. Or cover and boil until the dal is soft and creamy, about 30 minutes.2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a food processor, process together the onion, ginger, and garlic to make a fine paste. Remove to a bowl and process the tomatoes, cilantro, and green chili pepper until puréed. Remove to a separate bowl, then process the yogurt and water until smooth.3. Heat the oil in a medium nonstick wok or saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion-garlic paste, stirring until well browned, about 10 minutes. Add the puréed tomato mixture and stir until all the juices evaporate and traces of oil are visible on the sides. About 5 minutes. Mix in the coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and fenugreek leaves, and stir about 30 seconds. Add the yogurt-water and cook, stirring continuously, until it is completely incorporated into the dish and the mixture is dry, about 2 minutes.4. Transfer everything to the softened beans and simmer over medium heat, about 15 minutes, to blend the flavors. Add more water if you prefer a thinner sauce, or cook longer if you prefer a thicker sauce. (The beans will thicken as the dish cools, so add your water accordingly.) Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with garam masala and cilantro, and serve.From "1,000 Indian Recipes." Copyright 2002 by Neelam Batra. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.