Box of Spice

Indian Cooking in Holland

Curry Dishes

Rajma Bean Curry

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Rajma bean curry is the most beloved curry for most Indians. I at least have never met anyone in India that doesn’t like this dish. As a kid, growing up in India, I have the fondest memories of it. And no one made rajma like my mother did. When everyone else was using red kidney beans to make this dish, my mom would get what she called ‘chitri wale rajma’ from her grocer. She just claimed that it was far better than using the red kidney beans. She always made it sound so exotic when she told us that the beans came from Jammu and Kashmir. She made it for us every Sunday, early in the morning, so I could snack on it all day. I literally made myself sick every single time she made it. But still didn’t care 🙂

I don’t have access to those beans anymore but I successfully mimic the same dish and flavours with the borlotti beans. I am also not sure if mom used the same beans in India. Something to investigate on my next trip! For now I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It does require you to soak the beans at least 4-5 hours in advance and a pressure cooker makes the cooking process extremely fast. It is all in all a very simple recipe and them more you make it the more effortless is becomes. Serve it with some basmati rice and you will be hooked!

Enjoy!

 

Rajma Beans Curry
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup dry borlotti beans, soaked overnight
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 3 tbsps oil
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 3-4 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1 green chili, chopped
  • 1 medium tomato
  • 2 tbsps tomato paste
  • 2 tbsps cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
  • salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Rinse the soaked beans and combine them with the water in a pressure cooker. On high heat give 3-4 whistles. Lower heat and let simmer for 20-25 minutes. Once done release the air and set aside.
  2. Puree the onions along with the garlic and ginger. Puree the tomato separately and set aside.
  3. In a pan, heat the oil on high heat. Once hot, add the pureed onion garlic ginger mix with the chopped chili. Cook while stirring regularly till the onions are browning slightly. Add the chopped cilantro and cook for a few minutes more. Add the tomato puree with the tomato paste and cook till the oil starts leaving the side of the pan and the tomatoes are completely cooked. Add all the dry ingredients and cook for a few more minutes stirring to combine all ingredients together.
  4. Finally add the borlotti beans with their cooking liquid and bring to a boil on high heat. Lower heat to low and simmer for around 5 minutes.
  5. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with basmati rice.

 

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