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Rajma Recipe, How To Make Punjabi Rajma Masala

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Rajma Recipe- Kidney beans cooked in delicious Tangy tomato sauce and Indian spices – a specialty from the northern Indian state of Punjab.

Rajma (or Kidney Beans) is a specialty from the state of Punjab. It comes under the legume family and is a hard bean. Rajma chawal (Kidney Beans with Rice) is a regular fare in all Punjabi families and is also very popular all over North India. Chholey /chana masala , Daal Makhani and Amritsari Kulcha are other very popular recipes from Punjab

How To Make Best Creamy Rajma

The Rajma bean should be soaked properly at least for 8 hours or overnight then boiled till it becomes soft. I prefer to use pressure cooker to boil rajma and all hard beans. The main secret for a creamy Punjabi Rajma Masala is to cook the beans till it becomes soft to touch.  The boiled rajma is cooked with sauteed tomato and spices and simmered for at least 30 minutes so that all the flavors are absorbed in the rajma.

If you want to tweak the rajma recipe for a special occasion you may add some fresh cream in it to make it richer and creamier.For a bright colour in the gravy try using kashmiri chilies and a piece of beetroot while boiling the rajma.

There are many varieties of Rajma available in the market – deep red, pink, large sized, medium sized, solid colored, spotted, and the famous “Jammu ka Rajma” (small and red). You can use any variety according to your preference and availability.

I Personally Prefer using The Chitra Rajma as I find it more flavourful, creamy and delicious then the other varities.

The cooking time may vary according to the variety of Rajma you use, but the rajma recipes remains largely the same.

You may also like these recipes-

rajma masala

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Rajma Recipe, Punjabi Rajma Recipe
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4 from 4 votes

Rajma Recipe, How To Make Punjabi Rajma Masala

Rajma Recipe- Kidney beans cooked in delicious Tangy tomato sauce and Indian spices - A Punjabi specialty

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Lentil/Daal, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, Satvik Food
Keyword: masala, punjabi, rajma, rajma recipe
Servings: 5
Author: Anjana Chaturvedi

Ingredients

  • 2 cup Kidney Beans / Rajma Raw
  • 325 gms Tomatoes / Tamatar chopped (3 tomatoes - medium sized)
  • 1.5 tsp Ginger / Adrak grated
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder / Haldi Powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
  • 1.5 tsp Coriander Powder / Dhaniya Powder
  • 1 tsp Mango Powder / Amchoor Powder
  • 1/3 tsp Garam Masala Powder
  • 1 tsp Dried Fenugreek / Kasoori Methi
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander / Cilantro / Hara Dhaniya chopped
  • 4 tbsp Cooking Oil
  • 1/4 tsp Asafoetida / Hing powder
  • 3/4 tsp Cumin Seeds / Sabut Jeera
  • 2 Bay Leaves / Tej Patta
  • 4 pods Green Cardamom / Hari Elaichi
  • 2 Cloves / Lavang

Instructions

  • Wash rajma and soak in enough water for minimum 8 hours.
  • After 8 hours drain the water and rinse twice with fresh water.
  • Add soaked rajma, grated ginger, chili powder, salt, and cloves.
  • Add about 4 cups of water in the cooker and pressure cook on medium heat for about 5-6 whistles or till rajma become soft.
  • The cooking time depends on the quality of the rajma.
  • When pressure subsides, open the cooker and check the beans by gently pressing one with your fingers. If it crushes easily then its done, else cook further for few more whistles (if you are using a pressure cooker), as even slightly undercooked or hard beans don't taste nice and you will not get that creamy texture.
  • Grind chopped tomatoes and green chilies to make a smooth paste.
  • Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and add bayleaves, cumin, asafoetida.
  • When cumin start crackling add the pureed tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, mango powder and cook till oil start separating from the tomato mixture.
  • Now add cooked rajma along with the water and mix.
  • Add some more water (about 1- 1.5 cup) to adjust the consistency of rajma masala according to your preference (If you want to serve rajma with rice then make it of medium consistency and if want to serve along chapati then make it slightly thicker).
  • Add 1.5 tbsp of butter and kasoori methi and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
  • Add garam masala, chopped coriander and 1 tbsp butter and let it come to a boil.
  • Serve Rajma masala with steamed rice, jeera rice, paratha or chapati. Enjoy this rajma recipe!

Notes

This Rajma recipe does not use any onion and garlics and the spice composition has been adjusted to compensate for lack of these two vegetables.

Comments

  1. Udaya says

    Hi, I face a typical problem while cooking rajma or chhole. When i pressure cook it becomes soft,but when I add it to the prepared hot gravy it becomes little hard and doesnt become fully soft again. ANY PARTICULAR REASON FOR THAT ???
    Looking forward to your reply.

    • anjanaskc says

      Try changing one of the following things:
      1. Add salt to your rajma while pressure cooking.
      2. Cook the rajma a little longer than what you consider “done” (one extra whistle).

  2. Sowmya Dwivedi says

    Hello mam, I noticed you did not use Dalchini. Any particular reason for that?

    • anjanaskc says

      Hi Sowmya- I prefer to use only cloves,cardamaom and garam masala in Rajma and avoided adding to many flavours in it

  3. Alka@Best salad spinner reviews 2017 says

    Wondeful and looks tasty. Though I am punjabi but never been able to cook and make Rajma Chaal perfectly. Your blog reminds me of my mother and the way she cooks. I am going to give this a try and believe me my kids and hubby will be ever thankful to you.

  4. Vinay says

    Hello Anjanaji,
    We are a big fan of this website. In this recipe you call for Green Chillies too (to grind with Tomato). However, Green Chillies are not shown in the ingredients section. How many green chillies would you suggest for this recipe?

    • anjanaskc says

      Hi Vinay-thanks, you can use 2-3 green chilies as per your taste.

  5. Ruby says

    This recipe is perfect for Shravan month when many don’t eat garlic and onion. I am definitely going to try this. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

  7. swayam says

    This is delicious Anjana ji.. perfect for the days when we eat saatvic food. Thank you so much for sharing at #SaucySaturdays

  8. Christine says

    I love this recipe and this blog! So glad you linked up to #SaucySaturdays. I clearly need to get a pressure cooker!!!