Rajma (Punjabi Kidney Bean Curry)

Photo: Gaurav Nemade · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

Kidney beans simmered in a thick, gingery onion-tomato gravy until creamy and rich. Over basmati it's rajma chawal, North India's beloved Sunday lunch.

Ingredients

• 3 cans (15.5 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1½ cups crushed tomatoes
• 1½ tbsp grated ginger
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño or green chili, minced
• 2 tsp garam masala
• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1½ cups basmati rice

From your pantry: 3 tbsp oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder or paprika, 1 bay leaf, salt.

Instructions

1. Start the rice. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf and let them sizzle 20 seconds.
2. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until deep golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Don't rush this, because it builds the flavor of the gravy.
3. Stir in the ginger, garlic and chili for 1 minute, then the turmeric, coriander and chili powder for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook until thick and the oil glistens at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add the beans, 2½ cups water and 1½ tsp salt. Simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes, mashing a ladleful of beans against the side of the pot to thicken the gravy.
5. Stir in the garam masala and half the cilantro and simmer 2 minutes. Taste for salt and serve over rice with the remaining cilantro.

Tip: Mashing some of the beans makes the gravy creamy without any cream. For a richer finish, stir in 1 tbsp butter at the end.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

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