Craving for authentic Punjabi rajma masala recipe? You are at the right place. This kidney beans curry is very easy to make with basic ingredients. Not to forget, it is a very delicious, comforting and healthy dish.
❤️About This Recipe
Rajma masala is a popular North Indian dish that is made very often in Punjabi households. Here boiled red kidney beans are simmered in spiced onion-tomato gravy.
- It’s a protein-packed and perfect source of protein for vegetarians.
- It makes such a comforting vegetarian dinner when served with a simple bowl of rice or quinoa or millet. Though you can have it with roti or paratha as well.
- It is naturally vegan and gluten-free kidney beans curry.
- Great for meal prep. Make extra when you make for dinner, it makes a great make-ahead lunch.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Rajma (Kidney beans): There are many different types of rajma available in Indian grocery stores. They vary in size and color. You can use any variety you get your hands on. Keep in mind that boiling rajma time may vary depending on which one you are using.
I prefer to use dark-colored rajma. They hold their shape after cooking and they absorb the flavors very well.
Tomatoes: When it comes to Indian cooking, I prefer to use fresh tomatoes vs canned ones. Here I have just simply ground the chopped tomatoes into the fine puree and used it in the recipe.
TIP: I highly recommend using Roma tomatoes which are nice and ripe. Stay away from beefsteak or vine-ripe tomatoes which makes the gravy super sour.
Ginger Garlic: Most of the time I use fresh ginger-garlic that is grated using Microplane zester or crushed into a wet jar of my spice grinder. But you can use ready-made or homemade ginger garlic paste instead.
Spice powders: All the spices used are very basic in Indian cooking. These everyday spices are always there in my masala dabba.
Garam masala: I always use garam masala when making Punjabi rajma. But if you have readymade rajma masala powder then you can use that instead.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
Soaking & Boiling Rajma:
1) Wash the rajma under running cold water until the water runs clear. Or rinse them with tap water 2-3 times or until the water is not cloudy anymore. Soak in enough water for at least 8 hours or overnight. After the soaking time, they get lighter in color, almost double in size and some beans may have wrinkly skin. Discard the soaking water.
2) Take soaked rajma along with fresh water in the pressure cooker (or instant pot).
Pressure cooker: 1 whistle on High heat then reduce to Low and cook for 10 minutes.
Instant pot: Manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes.
NOTE: The cooked rajma should be soft and mashed easily when pressed between finger and thumb. Some of them may open up and those will help in making thick gravy.
Making Rajma Masala:
1) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add bay leaf and saute for 30 seconds.
2) Then add chopped onions and sprinkle some salt to speed up the cooking process.
3) Cook the onions until they are light brown in color.
4) Add ginger and garlic paste. Saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
5) Add tomato puree and let it cook. Do stir in between to make sure that it is not sticking to the pan.
6) Cook until all the moisture evaporates and oil starts to leave the sides of the pan.
7) Add spice powders (Turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder, garam masala, amchur).
8) Mix and cook for a minute.
9) Then add Boiled rajma along with its water. To get more thick gravy, mash a few rajma with the back of the spoon or spatula.
10) Mix well and let it simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Check the salt and other spices. If gravy is too thick then add some water and bring it to a boil. If gravy to too thin and watery then let it simmer for few more minutes or until you get your desire gravy consistency.
💭Expert Tips
Forgot to soak the beans? Here’s Quick Soaking Method: Take beans and plenty of water in a pan. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the stove and cover tightly with a lid. Let it sit for 1 hour. Voila, after 1 hour your beans are at the same stage where you have after overnight soaking.
Soaking beans is an important step. You may find much info about cooking unsoaked beans all around the internet. But I do not recommend that. Soaking kidney beans not only reduce the cooking time but less loss of water-soluble nutrients due to less exposure to heat. Hence helps in digestion plus makes super soft, buttery inside texture rajma.
Yes, I highly prefer the overnight soaking vs quick soaking method.
Slow simmering the gravy after adding rajma brings out the most flavor and rajma have enough time to absorb the masala flavor plus, rajma becomes soft and melt-in-your kind. So make sure to simmer on LOW heat for at least 10-15 minutes.
🥣 Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: It stays fresh for 2-3 days depending on the climate where you live. Rajma masala should be stored in an airtight container after it cools down completely.
- Freezer: Store in individual or smaller portions in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and freeze. It stays good for up to 2 months.
- Thaw the frozen rajma in the refrigerator overnight or keep it on the countertop at room temperature or 2-3 hours. Then reheat in a saucepan or microwave until piping hot.
🍽 Serving Ideas
- The most popular way to serving Punjabi rajma is with chawal (a bowl of rice). Roasted papad and laccha pyaaz is served on the side.
- This kidney beans curry can be served with jeera rice or mild-flavored pulao like peas pulao.
- Punjabi rajma masala can be served with roti or paratha and you can have a pickle, papad, kachumber salad on the side.
FAQs
Yes, you can. Please use 1 can (15 oz) of kidney beans but skip the soaking and boiling steps. So you’ll just have to make onion-tomato gravy, add canned beans and simmer.
There are few things you can keep in mind while making rajma recipe to make the thick gravy.
1. Make sure to chop the onions very finely (don’t keep big chunks). Or you can grate the onions.
2. Simmer on LOW for good 10-15 minutes.
3. While simmering the gravy mash a few beans using the back of the spatula which helps in thickening the gravy.
The old batch of beans will take longer to cook. So when you open the pressure cooker, check the doneness by pressing one bean. If it looks hard then you can add a little more water and cook for 2-3 more whistles.
- Sometimes really an old (stale) batch of beans will never get soft. In this case, you should discard those and need to buy a new fresh pack of rajma.
Check Out Other Authentic Punjabi Recipes
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📋 Recipe Card
Punjabi Rajma Masala
Ingredients
- ¾ cups Rajma (Red kidney beans) Dry, uncooked
- 2 ½ cups Water for pressure cooking
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 small or ½ cup Red onion chopped finely or food processed
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 2 medium or 1 cup Tomato pureed
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon Amchur powder (dried mango powder)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Soaking & Boiling Kidney Beans:
- Wash the rajma under running cold water until the water runs clear. Or rinse them with tap water 2-3 times or until the water is not cloudy anymore.
- Soak in enough water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking water.
- Take soaked beans along with fresh water in the pressure cooker (or instant pot).Pressure cooker: 1 whistle on High heat then reduce to Low and cook for 10 minutes.Instant pot: Manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes.
- NOTE: The cooked rajma should be soft and mashed easily when pressed between finger and thumb. Some of them may open up and those will help in making thick gravy.
Making Rajma Masala:
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add bay leaf and saute for 30 seconds.
- Then add chopped onions and sprinkle some salt to speed up the cooking process. Cook the onions until they are light brown in color.
- Add ginger and garlic paste. Saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Add tomato puree, mix well and let it cook. Cook until all the moisture evaporates and oil starts to leave the sides of the pan. Do stir in between to make sure that it is not sticking to the pan.
- Add spice powders (Turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder, garam masala, amchur). Mix well and cook for a minute.
- Then add Boiled rajma along with its water. To get more thick gravy, mash few rajma with the back of the spoon or spatula.
- Mix well and let it simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Check the salt and other spices. If gravy is too thick then add some water and bring it to a boil. If gravy to too thin and watery then let it simmer for few more minutes or until you get your desire gravy consistency.
Notes
- Make sure to chop the onions very finely (don’t keep big chunks). Or you can grate the onions.
- Simmer on LOW for good 10-15 minutes.
- While simmering the gravy mash a few rajma using the back of the spatula which helps in thickening the gravy.
Hii,
As i told uh in my last comment that, i have read many of your recipes , and they were amazing …. the best part of ur recipes, and they are working for me …. please share more and more recipes because i love to work on your recipes …….
thanks for sharing such a delicious list with us….
keep posting
cheers…
Thank you for the positive words.
Very glad to know that recipes are working for you.
I will keep sharing more and more recipes
The kidney beans you use have been processed as well: they have been dried!
True, it is processed, but it does not have any preservatives/additives compared to canned product.
Avoiding processed food completely is impossible, I can try to reduce as much possible I can.
I made this last night and it was only as I was making it that I realised I was making a basic curry sauce with beans instead of meat, I also had it with chapatis in place of my usual basmati rice, it was very tasty and I don't know why I always use meat when using beans is so nice, I may be a vegetarian convert!
true this is basic Punjabi curry sauce with beans.
Glad to know that you liked it
I just watched Tony Singh in The Punjab making Rajma and I must try it for myself, it looks delicious! Im just off to buy some red kidney beans right now!
do give it a try and let me know your feedback.
Happy cooking!!!
Hello,
Would I be able to use tomato paste instead of pureed tomatoes? This recipe looks delicious.
yes you can. But only 2 tablespoons of tomato paste is enough