I hear the wind rattling the windows. The dark rain clouds hang overhead. I look out of the kitchen window. We are up on the fourth floor of our flat in New Delhi. The monsoons have brought sweet relief from the oppressive summer heat. It seems a good day to fix some Rajma Curry (kidney beans). I love it with white rice and pickle. The cook has the day off. I don’t mind. I love the peace of being in the kitchen by myself. I had soaked the beans the night before. My son is curled up on the couch reading his recently acquired comics. My husband should be home in an hour. I turn my gaze from contemplating the clouds to the kitchen counter and get started.
Rajma (Kidney Beans Curry)
A rich, delicious, healthy kidney bean curry filled with nutritious proteins and nutrients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rajma (pick, clean, and soak overnight in about 4 cups water)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 medium yellow onions (chopped finely)
- 1 green Serrano chili (to your taste)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (or one 8 oz can of tomato sauce or 3 Roma tomatoes)
- 1 tbsp heaped ginger paste (preferably fresh)
- 1 tbsp heaped garlic paste (preferably fresh)
- 1½ tsp salt (or to your taste)
- 6-7 cups water
Whole Spices
- 1 large black cardamom
- 2 Bay leaves
- 4-5 cloves (or ¼ tsp clove powder)
- 4-5 peppercorns (½ tsp cracked pepper)
Masalas
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder (or to your taste)
- 1-2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves
Instructions
Overnight Preparation
- Pick, clean, and soak the beans overnight in about 4 cups of water.
To Prepare
- Heat the oil in a 4-6 quart cooking pot or deep saucepan on medium heat.
- Add whole spices, stir for 30 seconds, and now add the onions.
- Sauté until three-quarter brown, about 8 minutes.
- Add all the masalas and sauté for 3 minutes or until the oil starts to surface on the sides of the pan.
- Add the kidney beans, water, and tomato paste. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Boil for 30 minutes, then lower heat and simmer for about another 30 minutes, until nice and tender.
- If the beans are drying out, add more hot water to sustain a nice amount of gravy.
- When nearly done, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to make a thicker gravy. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Pour into a serving dish and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
- Serve with plain boiled rice, any pilaf, or roti. I have even eaten it poured over a plate of noodles!
Notes
You can boil the beans separately and then add them to the curry mix or use them after soaking.
If using a pressure cooker, you can do the tempering, then add the raw-soaked beans and bring it to pressure. Using a pressure cooker cuts the cooking time. I follow the time given on the chart for beans, but times will vary depending on the heat source and altitude, so I always cook it for less than the time indicated on the manual chart.
A Simple Variation
Boil the soaked beans with a tablespoon of chopped ginger, garlic, and salt. Cook until done. Then temper the beans.
Tempering/Tadka
1 medium onion chopped
2 medium tomatoes chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp chili powder or to your taste
¼ tsp garam masala, or to your liking
2-3 tablespoons oil
In a sauté pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onions, sauté 4-5 minutes, then add the spice powders and stir for a minute. Add the tomatoes. Cook for 7-8 minutes, and add the cooked beans. Stir and let simmer for 5 minutes to absorb the flavors of the tadka. Mash a few beans against the side of the pot with the back of the ladle. Stir and simmer for another 2 minutes.