Few dishes carry as much nostalgia in North India as rajma chawal. Kidney beans came to India from the Americas via Europe, but Punjabi, Himachali and Jammu kitchens adopted them so completely that the small red Jammu rajma and the speckled chitra variety are now prized regional produce in their own right.
Well-made rajma is creamy without being mushy, each bean soft enough to crush on the tongue, sitting in a thick, spiced gravy that clings to rice. The masala is built on slowly browned onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes, with a little garam masala and kasuri methi at the end for warmth.
It is the classic Sunday lunch, cooked in a pressure cooker while the family wakes up, and the dish many North Indians crave most when they live away from home. A plate of rajma chawal with sliced onion, a green chilli and a spoon of ghee on top needs nothing else.
At a glance
| Region | Punjab |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Punjabi |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 50 minutes |
| Total time | 65 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Gluten-free | Yes |
| Key ingredients | rajma / onion / tomato / basmati rice |
Ingredients
For the rajma
- 1 cup rajma (Jammu or chitra), soaked 10 hours
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp mustard oil or any oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf, 1 black cardamom
- 2 medium onions, grated or finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 3 tomatoes, pureed
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasuri methi
- Chopped coriander
For the rice
- 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, soaked 20 minutes
- 1 tsp salt
- Plenty of water for boiling
Method
- Drain the soaked rajma, rinse and pressure cook with 4 cups fresh water and salt: 1 whistle on high, then 20 to 25 minutes on low. Let the pressure drop naturally. A bean should mash easily between two fingers; if not, cook another 10 minutes.
- Heat oil in a heavy pan until it just smokes (if using mustard oil), then lower to medium. Add cumin, bay leaf and black cardamom.
- Add onions and cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and saute 1 minute.
- Add tomato puree with the powdered spices and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium-low for 8 to 10 minutes until the masala darkens and oil floats at the edges.
- Add the rajma with all its cooking liquid. Mash about a quarter cup of beans against the pan to thicken the gravy.
- Simmer uncovered on low for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is thick and creamy. Finish with garam masala, crushed kasuri methi and coriander.
- Meanwhile boil the rice in 8 cups salted water for 9 to 10 minutes until just done, drain in a colander and leave covered for 5 minutes.
Tips
- Never add salt-free tomatoes to undercooked rajma and expect it to soften – the acid stops the beans from cooking further. Cook beans fully first.
- Jammu rajma cooks faster and creamier than large red kidney beans.
- Discard the soaking water; it helps reduce the bloating rajma is known for.
Serve with
Steamed basmati rice, sliced onion, a green chilli and a spoon of ghee on top.