Rajma Masala Recipe | How to easily cook Punjabi Rajma Masala at home
- 200 grams Kidney Beans (Rajma)
- 550 milliliters Water (for boiling rajma and for adjusting gravy consistency)
- 1 Onion (large)
- 2 Tomato (medium)
- 1/2 stick Ginger (1/2 inch)
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 4 tablespoons Oil
- 1/4 tablespoon Cumin Seeds
- 4 cloves Clove
- 3 Bay Leaves
- 1/2 tablespoon Garam Masala
- 1/4 tablespoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tablespoon Cumin Powder
- 1/4 tablespoon Cinnamom Powder
- 1/4 tablespoon Red chilli powder
- 1/2 tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tablespoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1/4 tablespoon Cumin seeds
- 4 Kashmiri Red Chillis
Soak rajma overnight or for at least 6 to 8 hours in enough water as shown in ingredients image. Rinse rajma well and transfer to pressure cooker.
Add about 350 ml water and ¼ tablespoon salt along with rajma in pressure cooker. Pressure cook for 4 whistles and rajma will be nicely cooked. Allow pressure to be released from cooker.
Adding salt to rajma while pressure cooking helps rajma to become soft.While pressure cooker is cooling down, rinse tomato, onion, ginger, garlic and cut them into big chunks as shown in ingredients image.
Now heat kadhai and add just ½ tablespoon of oil to it. Once oil is hot, add onion, ginger, garlic chunks and sauté until it turns golden in colour. After onions are cooked, add tomato, close lid and cook until tomatoes become soft. Then allow onion and tomatoes to cool down or at least they turn warm.
Transfer onion and tomatoes to grinder jar and add just a little water. Grind to make smooth puree.
Now heat kadhai again and add remaining 3 ½ tablespoon of oil. Once oil is hot, add cumin seeds to it and allow it to splutter.
Then add bay leaves, clove and sauté for a minute.
Later add all remaining spices - turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, cinnamon powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder.
I have used non stick kadhai for this recipe because I was feeling lazy and used same non-stick pan which I used for making other recipe. But, I don't recommend you to use non-stick vessels for cooking liquid food / gravy style dal or vegetables.
Mix all spices and sauté for a minute to make them aromatic.
Then add onion and tomato puree to it and mix well.
Cook on a medium flame until water content evaporates and thick masala mixture is formed.
Now transfer cooked rajma with remaining water to kadhai, add salt to it and some more water (around 200 to 250ml) to adjust consistency.
Mix well and close lid, simmer on a medium flame until gravy turns medium thick.
Slow cooking enhances the taste of recipes, so if you have enough time, you can cook on a low flame as well and simultaneously you can prepare roti, rice etc.
Now Rajma is cooked well and ready.
Let's prepare tadka or tempering. Heat small tadka pan and add 2 tablespoon of oil. Once oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Then add Kashmiri red chilli and heat until chilli become crisp. Prepare and pour tadka at the time of serving.
If we are feeling lazy then tadka can be optional, but I know if you have followed till this step then you are a true food lover and you won't be lazy to spend couple of minutes extra efforts to prepare tadka. For most of the Indian recipes, tadka is always like cherry on top of the cake - so I suggest do not skip.
The Rajma Chawal combination is famous everywhere but I have served this Rajma Recipe or Punjabi Rajma Masala Recipe with tandoori roti, cucumber and beetroot slices.
We can't skip lemon to be served with such recipes because lemon adds flavour to recipes and helps in digestion too.