Rajma Chawal / Razma Chawal

Rajma or Razma is a popular North Indian vegetarian dish consisting of red kidney beans in a thick gravy with lots of Indian whole spices and usually served with rice and roti. Although the kidney bean is not of Indian origin, it is a part of regular diet in northern regions Punjab, Kashmir, Delhi, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. This dish developed after the red kidney bean was brought to the Indian subcontinent from Central Mexico and Guatemala.

Rajma Chawal

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rajma/Red Kidney Beans
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
• 1 teaspoon Vegetable/Sunflower Oil
• Salt to taste

Method

• Cook the soakedrajma (soaked overnight/8 hours) in about 3 cups of water in a pot or a pressure cooker until the rajma is soft, tender and cooked. Takes about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the age of the beans.
• Heat oil to a sauce pan, add chopped ginger and onions. Sauté until onions are soft and golden brown.
• Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and sauté until tomatoes become soft.
• Add the cooked rajma , salt, 1 cup water and butter and simmer for 30 minutes. The longer you simmer the more the spices get into the rajma and the tastier it gets. You can alter the consistency of the gravy by adding more water.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with warm long grained rice.