RAG Demo

Tag: Pressure cooker

  • Rajma Chawal

    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

    RegionPunjab
    CuisinePunjabi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time50 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrajma / 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

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. Add the rajma with all its cooking liquid. Mash about a quarter cup of beans against the pan to thicken the gravy.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.

  • Moong Dal Khichdi

    Khichdi is perhaps the most universal comfort food in India, mentioned by medieval travellers such as Ibn Battuta and cooked in some form in nearly every state. It is the first solid food for many babies, the meal for anyone unwell, the Saturday or Makar Sankranti dish in many homes, and the quiet dinner when nobody wants to cook.

    Moong dal khichdi is the lightest version: rice and husked yellow moong cooked together with turmeric and salt until soft and porridge-like. A tempering of ghee, cumin, asafoetida, ginger and green chilli gives it warmth. It can be made loose and soupy or thick enough to hold its shape, and a spoon of ghee on top is non-negotiable.

    At a glance

    RegionPan-Indian
    CuisineNorth Indian
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / moong dal / ghee / turmeric

    Ingredients

    For the khichdi

    • 1/2 cup short-grain rice
    • 1/2 cup yellow moong dal
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 4 cups water

    For the tempering

    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 1 tsp grated ginger
    • 1 green chilli, slit
    • 6 curry leaves (optional)
    • 1 small tomato, chopped (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional)

    Method

    1. Rinse the rice and moong dal together in several changes of water until the water runs clear. Soak for 15 minutes and drain.
    2. Put them in a pressure cooker with turmeric, salt and 4 cups water. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 whistles, then let the pressure release naturally.
    3. Open the cooker and mash the khichdi lightly with a ladle. Add 1/2 cup hot water if you prefer it looser, and simmer for 2 minutes.
    4. For the tempering, heat the ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10 seconds until they darken slightly.
    5. Add asafoetida, ginger, green chilli and curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds. If using tomato, add it now and cook for 2 minutes until soft.
    6. Turn off the heat, add the red chilli powder if using, and pour the tempering over the khichdi. Stir and serve hot with more ghee.

    Tips

    • For a sick-day khichdi, skip the chilli and tomato and keep the tempering to ghee, cumin and asafoetida.
    • Khichdi thickens quickly as it cools; always loosen it with hot water before reheating.
    • Add diced carrot, peas or spinach with the rice and dal for a more filling vegetable khichdi.

    Serve with

    Plain curd, papad, pickle and a spoon of ghee.