Rajma
Kidney beans in a thick onion and tomato gravy. Cook the masala until the oil separates, then let the beans thicken it themselves.
- Prep
- 15m
- Cook
- 1h 15m
- Waiting
- 8h
- Total
- 9h 30m
- Serves
- 4
- Effort
- Easy
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done. Tap an ingredient once for got it, twice for need it.
| 3 tbsp | Fry until golden brown 12m | Cook the masala until the oil pools at the edges 20m 20 minutes, not 5. Undercooked masala tastes raw and thin. | Add the cooked beans with their liquid 5m | Simmer 25 minutes, mashing a ladleful against the pot 25m Mashing some of the beans is what thickens the gravy. No flour, no cream. | |
| 1 tsp | |||||
| 2 | |||||
| 2 tbsp | |||||
| 4 | |||||
| 2 tsp | |||||
| 1 tsp | |||||
| 1 tsp | |||||
| 1/2 tsp | |||||
| 2 tsp | |||||
| 1 1/2 cups | Soak overnight, then boil until completely soft 50m Boil hard for the first 10 minutes — kidney beans must be properly cooked. | ||||
| 1.5 l | |||||
| 1 | |||||
| 1 tsp | |||||
| a handful | |||||
| 1 tbsp | |||||
-
Fry until golden brown
12m- neutral oil 3 tbsp
- cumin seeds 1 tsp
- onions 2
- ginger-garlic paste 2 tbsp
-
Cook the masala until the oil pools at the edges
20m- from 1 Fry until golden brown
- tomatoes 4
- ground coriander 2 tsp
- ground cumin 1 tsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp
- ground turmeric 1/2 tsp
- salt 2 tsp
20 minutes, not 5. Undercooked masala tastes raw and thin.
-
Soak overnight, then boil until completely soft
50m- dried kidney beans 1 1/2 cups
- water 1.5 l
- bay leaf 1
Boil hard for the first 10 minutes — kidney beans must be properly cooked.
-
Add the cooked beans with their liquid
5m- from 2 Cook the masala until the oil pools at the edges
- from 3 Soak overnight, then boil until completely soft
-
Simmer 25 minutes, mashing a ladleful against the pot
25m- from 4 Add the cooked beans with their liquid
- garam masala 1 tsp
- coriander leaves a handful
- ginger 1 tbsp
Mashing some of the beans is what thickens the gravy. No flour, no cream.
Bhuna: cooking the masala out
The Hindi term for this stage is bhunao — frying the onion, tomato and ground spices until the water has gone and the oil visibly separates. It is the same principle as a French soffritto taken further: you are driving off moisture so the ingredients can actually fry rather than stew. The oil pooling at the edges is the visual cue, and it is worth waiting for.
Notes
- Dried beans give a far better gravy than tinned, because the cooking liquid is starchy and goes into the dish.
- If you use tinned, add a tablespoon of the aquafaba and mash more.
- Better the next day, like most bean dishes.