Rajma

Rajma is the great comfort food of North India — dark red kidney beans slow-cooked in a thick, deeply spiced tomato-onion gravy. It is quintessentially Punjabi, appearing on every Delhi street corner and in every diaspora home worldwide, always served with steamed basmati rice in the beloved combination known simply as rajma-chawal. The dish rewards patience: the longer the beans simmer in the gravy, the richer and creamier the result.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 300g (10.5 oz) dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight, or 2 × 400g (14 oz) cans, drained
• 3 tbsp neutral oil or ghee
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 3 medium tomatoes, puréed
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander (cilantro) and a knob of butter to serve

Instructions

1. If using dried beans, pressure cook with 1 litre (4 cups) water and 1 tsp salt for 20–25 minutes at high pressure until completely tender. Reserve the cooking liquid. (Canned beans skip this step.)
2. Heat oil in a heavy pan. Cook onions over medium heat 15 minutes until deep golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste; fry 2 minutes.
3. Add puréed tomatoes, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder, and turmeric. Cook 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until the masala thickens and oil begins to surface around the edges.
4. Add cooked beans along with 250ml (1 cup) of the reserved cooking liquid (or plain water for canned). Mash about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pan to thicken the gravy naturally.
5. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the curry reaches a thick, glossy consistency. Add garam masala and salt. Finish with butter and fresh coriander. Serve over basmati rice.

Cook's Notes: Mashing some beans is the key trick for a thick, restaurant-style gravy without adding flour or cream. Kashmiri chilli gives colour without excessive heat — you can increase regular chilli separately to your taste. Rajma tastes even better the next day after the beans absorb the masala overnight.