I sport a special corner for red kidney beans and it didn’t take much time to spread this love among my kids too. After all, it’s hard to turn your face away from drool-worthy sight of the red kidney-shaped darlings, swimming in spicy gravy – it’s the ultimate gastronomic satisfaction trapped in a bowl!
I always have an inclination to cook food which takes less time to prepare yet never disappoint when it comes to flavors. And what could be more hassle-free then cooking rajma curry for my family in a pressure cooker when I am running short of time. However, in spite of being appetizing, the pressure cooker version of this dish really can’t compete with the flavors of the mushier one cooked on the hob. The aromatic gravy of tomatoes and onions, jazzed up with the Indian exotic spices will knock you out with its soaring yum quotient. And, the slow-cooking over the stove-top allows the zesty flavors to seep into the red kidney beans, thus turning every spoonful into a flavorsome fest. No wonder, a simple dish from North India has taken the entire country by storm and won hearts of many.
So let’s not keep you waiting anymore and introduce you to my simple yet great recipe of rajma curry with you all!
Step by Step Photos: Rajma Curry (Red Kidney Beans Curry) Recipe
Heat oil in a pan
Add chopped onions and sauté until gold brown. Add garlic-ginger paste and fry for 1-2 mins. Add garam masala, turmeric power, red chili, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well. Add chopped tomatoes.
Add chopped tomatoes and cook until oil separates.
Add boiled beans along with the water remaining in the pressure cooker and cook for a few mins. Add 1 cup water.
Spices and beans are well mixed.
Rajma Curry (Red Kidney Beans Curry)
Serving: 4
Prep Time: (overnight + 5 mins) minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- red kidney beans - 2 cups, (opt for canned beans if you are in hurry)
- onion - 1 (chopped)
- garlic – ginger - 1 teaspoon (paste)
- green chilies - 2 (chopped) (optional for people who prefer less-spicier version)
- tomatoes - 6 (chopped)
- turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon
- red pepper powder - ¼ teaspoon, make it (½ to 3/4 teaspoon for more heat)
- garam masala - ½ teaspoon
- coriander seeds powder - 1 1/2 teaspoon
- olive oil - 1-2 tablespoon
- cumin seed - ½ teaspoon
- coriander leaves - few leaves (chopped)
- salt - to taste
Instructions
- Wash the kidney beans and soak in water overnight. (not for canned bean)
- Cook beans in a pressure cook with just enough water to cover them for 3-4 whistles. (if not, using canned bean)
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add cumin seeds for a few seconds.
- Add onions and sauté until gold brown.
- Add garlic-ginger paste and fry for 1-2 mins.
- Add garam masala, turmeric powder, red chili, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Add tomatoes and cook until oil separates.
- Add boiled beans along with the water remaining in the pressure cooker and cook for a few mins.
- Add 1 cup water and cook for 5-8 minutes until spices and beans are well mixed.
- Turn off the gas.
- Garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with rice.
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I always love steaming hot rajma and steaming hot white rice together. But have not made it together like this. And I’ll be making this soon now.
Did you make this Rajma Curry? If so, how did it work out for you? Please do let me know.
i will be cooking for myself but don’t mind leftovers. if i wish to halve the recipe, should i only halve the tomato, beans and onion but keep the amount of spices?
Hi Hm, thanks for visiting! Yes, you should halve everything including the amount of spices. You can adjust the amount according to your taste. Please let me know how it turns out for you when you make. Thanks!
i will try it this weekend and let you know. i will be using fresh ginger and garlic – do you have any recommendation on how many cloves of garlic and how big a chunk of ginger would be good?
Hi Hm, that sounds good. I’d say for halving, this is 1/2 teaspoon, it would be 1 clove of garlic and 1 tsp of ginger or 3 grams of ginger. Does that answer? Thanks!
this is so delicious and easy (the most difficult bit was chopping the onion). i’ve never eaten rajma before so i don’t know if mine turned out as it should, but the tanginess of the tomatoes plus the whiff of cumin was enough to win me over.
i decided not to halve the ingredients and i used canned beans. i wasn’t sure if i should use whole green/red chilli or powder, and went with 1/4 tsp chilli powder instead.
i didn’t understand the instruction “add chopped tomatoes and cook until oil separates”, so i cooked until the tomatoes were a bit softer and some skin fell off (it didn’t look as pasty as your photo shows) – maybe i should cook it for longer next time?
i could also feel the ginger bits while eating. i may try grating instead of chopping.
this is going into my list of regular weeknight recipes. thanks very much for sharing.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. “Add chopped tomatoes and cook until oil separates” means oil separates in curry after cooking sauce for about 8-15 minutes. You can see the oil by making a thin layer on top of sauce. Hope this helps. Please come and visit here often to see the recipes. You can like RecipeTreasure on Facebook for updates or you can subscribe the blog by email for new recipes. Thanks!