Authentic Punjabi Rajma – Red kidney bean gravy
One of India’s most popular Punjabi dish is a warm steaming plate of "Rajma-chawal". Seema Gadh shows you how to get the authentic flavour of Punjab while preparing this savoury curry.
The Ingredients:
400 gm rajma (red kidney beans)
4 tomatoes, pureed
2 sliced onions
2 tablespoons (tbsp) garlic-ginger paste
1 1/2 teaspoon (tsp) salt
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp ground spices (Garam masala)
2 tbsp coriander leaves
2 tbsp fenugreek leaves (Kasturi methi)
2 tbsp coriander (Dhaniya) powder
1 tsp jeera (Cumin) powder
2 tbsp oil
The Cook:
1. Soak the rajma in water for at least 6 to 8 hours.
2. Cook the soaked rajma in a pressure cooker for two to three whistles with a tsp of salt. After three whistles, allow the rajma to cook on low flame.
3. In a deep frying pan, heat two tablebspoons of oil on high flame to prepare the masala.
4. Once the oil heats up, add sliced onions and cook them till they turn brown in colour.
5. Pour the tomato puree into the pan and stir well.
6. Add garlic-ginger paste and allow it to cook. Next, sprinkle salt and red chilli powder.
7. Let the masala cool down once it’s cooked. Then, put the masala in a mixer to form a thick, smooth puree.
8. Add the pureed masala to the rajma in the pressure cooker. Add ground spices, coriander powder and cumin powder. Mix it all well.
9. Finally, add fenugreek and coriander leaves to give it extra flavor.
10. To make the gravy a little thinner, add water to the rajma and bring it to boil. Allow it to simmer for five to seven minutes. Serve the rajma with steamed rice.