Healthy, delicious, comforting, creamy, and flavorful Rajma Masala is among the most popular North Indian curries. This Kidney Bean Curry without onion and garlic is best served with Rice or Naan!
Rajma Masala consists of red kidney beans, tomato gravy, optional cashew paste, and spices. However, the recipe is highly flexible, and you can turn this curry into a suitable diet with some changes.
No Onion, No Garlic Rajma Masala
This Punjabi-style Rajma Masala recipe is Our Family Favorite, just like Chole and Dal Makhani! You have landed at the right place if you are unsure how to make Rajma Masala without onion and garlic.
The curry is creamy and thick, and the texture is melt-in-the-mouth. However, there are a few things to take care of for the perfectly delicious and enjoyable Rajma Masala.
Cooking kidney beans until they are soft is essential for this dish. Also, cooking tomato puree for longer is necessary. Furthermore, cooking rajma into gravy for at least 20 minutes makes the curry creamy and rich and melts in the mouth.
I have used cashew paste instead of cream for this recipe. Cashew paste balances the tanginess of tomatoes, provides a creamy texture, and makes the curry rich.
While you can use canned kidney beans, I highly recommend boiling them at home for the best results. A spoonful of ghee on top of Rajma Masala is a game changer. If you are not following a vegan diet, try adding ghee; you will love it.
Why You Will Love Rajma Masala
- Nutritious and Delicious
- Creamy, Rich, Comforting, and Satisfying
- Homemade but Restaurant-Style
- Easy with Pantry Staple Ingredients
- Great with Rice or Naan
- No Onion, No Garlic
Ingredients
Like many other curry recipes on my blog, this one only needs staple pantry ingredients. And using good quality garam masala will definitely enhance the taste of the curry. If you like homemade spices, check out Punjabi Garam Masala Powder and Kitchen King Masala Recipe (No Onion No Garlic). They are easy to make and stay fresh for longer in the refrigerator and freezer. And you can use them in most of your favorite curry recipes.
- Kidney Beans: I have used large and darker red kidney beans to make this curry. You can use light-colored variety, but it is better to use large kidney beans.
- Oil or Ghee: I love adding ghee to lentils and beans. Ghee adds a perfect desi flavor to the curry. But if you follow a vegan diet, use only oil to cook this rajma masala.
- Tomatoes: Use ripe and juicy tomatoes; I have used the Roma variety.
- Celery: Celery adds an earthy flavor to the dish. It makes the tomato mixture thick and balances the tanginess of the tomatoes. But if you do not have celery, that’s perfectly fine! You can skip this vegetable, or if you want, you can substitute it with a small turnip.
- Ginger and Green Chili: Ginger provides a peppery and sharp earthy flavor to this curry; try not to skip it. Add less green chili or more to make the curry as spicy as per your taste.
- Spices: We need basic Indian ground spices like asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala.
- Herbs: I added fresh coriander and dried fenugreek (Kasoori Methi) for more flavor.
- Cashew Paste: I have added cashew paste to the gravy to make it creamy and rich. I prefer adding cashew paste to this curry over heavy cream. It also balances the taste and flavor of tomatoes. For a vegan diet, grind the cashews using water or non-dairy milk.
How To Make Rajma Masala Step-by-Step
Soaking and Cooking The Rajma (Kidney Beans)
- Rinse and soak the rajma (raw kidney beans) in 4 cups of water for at least 8-10 hours or overnight.
- Then drain the rajma, rinse again with fresh water, and transfer them into the pressure cooker.
- Add 3½ cups fresh water, salt, and a pinch of baking soda.
- Adding baking soda is optional, but it really helps cook the rajma faster and more thoroughly.
- Pressure cook the rajma on medium heat for 8-10 whistles or until thoroughly cooked. If you use baking soda, the rajma will cook faster.
- However, the cooking time may vary depending on the type and age of the rajma.
- When pressure is released naturally, open the lid and check the rajma, either by tasting or with your fingers. They should not have a bite and should be soft and thoroughly cooked. If not, boil again and add more water if necessary.
Making The Cashew Paste
- Soak the cashews in ½ cup of hot water for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water and transfer the cashews into the blender jar.
- Add 3 tablespoon of milk (or non-dairy milk) or water and blend into the smooth paste. Set it aside.
Making The Tomato Mixture For Rajma Masala
- Add chopped tomatoes, celery, ginger, and green chili into the blender jar.
- Blend everything into a smooth puree.
Cooking The Rajma Masala
- Heat oil or ghee (or half oil and half ghee) in a pan and add cumin seeds.
- When cumin seeds start to sizzle, add Hing and saute for a few seconds.
- Add tomato puree and mix well.
- Next, add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala.
- Mix well and continue cooking the tomato mixture for 12-15 minutes or until it is thick.
- It is essential to cook the tomato puree for longer, so it becomes thick and does not taste raw.
- Add cooked rajma along with its water and cashew paste to the gravy and mix well.
- Continue cooking rajma masala on low- medium heat for at least 20 minutes to 25 minutes, stirring often.
- The gravy should be of medium consistency, not too thin or too thick.
- While simmering the rajma masala, mash a few rajma with the back of the spoon. It will help thicken the curry.
- Once you get the right consistency, add Kasoori methi and chopped coriander leaves, mix well, and cook for a minute.
- Taste and adjust the salt as required.
- Turn off the heat and transfer into the serving bowl. Before serving, add a tablespoon of ghee on top of rajma masala if you prefer.
How To Serve Rajma Masala
- Rajma is very popular with Rice in North India. It is also known as Rajma Chawal, where Chawal means Rice. Serve this Rajma Masala with plain Rice or Jeera Rice.
- You can also serve it with Roti, Paratha, or Naan. Or try serving it with Whole Wheat Kulcha.
- To make a complete meal, you can serve the Rajma Masala with the sides of Aloo Gobi (No Onion No Garlic), Palak Paneer Stir-Fry, or Aloo Palak (No Onion No Garlic).
Helpful Tips
- Kidney Beans (Rajma): You can use canned kidney beans, but I recommend starting with raw beans and cooking them at home for the best rajma masala. Also, it is essential to soak the rajma for at least 8 hours. And cook them in the pressure cooker until they are soft and thoroughly cooked. Alternatively, you can also cook rajma in an instant pot.
- Baking Soda: Sometimes, it takes a lot of time to pressure cook the kidney beans, and still, we do not get the soft texture. But adding a pinch of baking soda helps cook the beans faster with the perfectly cooked and soft texture.
- Tomato Mixture: It is essential to cook the tomato mixture for 12-15 minutes on low-medium heat until the raw taste of the tomatoes goes away. Also, the mixture should become thick and pulpy. Having the raw and sour taste of tomatoes in the rajma curry or any curry is unpleasant.
- Simmer The Curry For Longer: For the best flavors and creamy texture, cook the rajma masala on low heat for 20-25 minutes (just like Dal Makhani).
- Make It Jain: This recipe does not include onion and garlic, but if you follow the strict Jain diet and do not consume ginger, you can add dried ginger powder instead.
- Make It Vegan: Do not add ghee; use only oil to make this recipe vegan. Also, make the cashew paste using either water or non-dairy milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Kind of Kidney Beans To Use?
There are several varieties of kidney beans available in the market. But I recommend using large kidney beans for this recipe or making Punjabi rajma masala or a restaurant-style rajma. However, you can use either lighter or darker rajma.
Why My Gravy Tastes Raw?
It is essential to cook the tomato mixture properly to ensure that the tomatoes do not taste raw. And for that, cook the tomato gravy for at least 12-15 minutes on medium heat, often stirring, until it gets thicker and the oil separates from the sides.
Why My Gravy is Watery?
It is often a problem with curries without onion and garlic. Because the main base of the gravy is only tomatoes, but then other elements like celery, turnips, cashews, almonds, cream, etc., come to the rescue. Including one of the thickening ingredients in the recipe will help to make the gravy thick, creamy, and rich. I used celery and cashews in this recipe and cooked the tomato mixture until it got thick and pulpy. So, try to include all the ingredients mentioned in the recipe. However, if you do not have celery, skip it, and instead of cashews, you can use almonds or heavy cream to make the gravy thick and creamy.
Do I Need To Use Cashew Paste?
You do not need to! However, I recommend substituting cashew paste. Instead of cashews, make the almond paste similarly. Or add 2 tablespoon of heavy cream when you add Kasoori methi. If you do not want to use any of these, add 3-4 tablespoon of cooked rajma to the blender and blend along with the tomato mixture. It will make the tomato gravy thicker and creamy.
Can I Skip Celery?
Yes, absolutely! You can skip the celery entirely or replace it with a small turnip.
Can I use Canned Kidney Beans?
Yes, for this recipe, you can use canned beans. Skip the step of cooking the rajma and start with making gravy masala. Then drain the canned rajma, wash them thoroughly, add them to the prepared gravy, and continue cooking as mentioned in the recipe.
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Recipe Card
Rajma Masala (No Onion No Garlic) / Kidney Bean Curry
Ingredients
For Cooking Rajma
- 1½ cups (270g) rajma (raw red kidney beans)
- 3½ cups water for cooking rajma
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda (optional)
For Tomato Mixture
- 3 large tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 celery stick roughly chopped (optional)
- 1- inch ginger peeled and chopped
- 1 green chili chopped
For Cashew Paste
- 8-10 cashews
- ½ cup hot water
- 3 tablespoon milk or water or non-dairy milk
For Rajma Masala
- 2 tablespoon oil (or 1tbsp oil + 1 tablespoon ghee)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Hing (asafoetida)
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala or to taste
- 1 teaspoon crushed Kasoori Methi
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped coriander
Instructions
Soaking and Cooking The Kidney Bean
- Rinse and soak the rajma (raw kidney beans) in 4 cups of water for at least 8-10hours or overnight.
- Then drain the rajma, rinse it with fresh water and transfer them into the pressure cooker.
- Add 3½ cups fresh water, salt, and a pinch of baking soda.
- Pressure cook the rajma on medium heat for 8-10 whistles or until thoroughly cooked. If you use baking soda, the rajma will cook faster.
- However, the cooking time may vary depending on the type and age of the rajma.
- When pressure is released naturally, open the lid and check the rajma either by tasting or with your fingers. They should not have a bite to them and should be soft and thoroughly cooked. If not, boil again and add more water if required.
Making The Cashew Paste
- Soak the cashews in ½ cup of hot water for 10 minutes.
- Drain the water and transfer the cashews into the blender jar. Add 3 tablespoon of milk (or non-dairy milk) or water and blend into the smooth paste. Set it aside.
Making The Tomato Mixture
- Add chopped tomatoes, celery, ginger, and green chili into the blender jar. Blend everything into a smooth puree.
Cooking The Rajma Masala
- Heat oil or ghee (or half oil and half ghee) in a pan and add cumin seeds.
- When cumin seeds start to sizzle, add Hing and saute for a few seconds.
- Add tomato puree and mix well. Next, add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala.
- Mix well and continue cooking the tomato mixture for 12-15 minutes or until it is thick. It is essential to cook the tomato puree for longer, so it becomes thick and does not taste raw.
- Add cooked rajma along with its water and cashew paste to the gravy and mix well.
- Continue cooking rajma masala on low- medium heat for at least 20 minutes to 25 minutes, stirring often.
- The gravy should be of medium consistency, not too thin or too thick.
- While simmering the rajma masala, mash a few rajma with the back of the spoon. It will help thicken the curry.
- Once you get the right consistency, add Kasoori methi and chopped coriander leaves, mix well and cook for a minute. Taste and adjust the salt as required.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the rajma masala into a serving bowl. Add a tablespoon of ghee to the rajma masala before serving, if you prefer.
Serving Suggestions
- Rajma is very popular with Rice in North India. It is also known as Rajma Chawal, where Chawal means Rice. Serve this Rajma Masala with plain Rice or Jeera Rice.
- You can also serve it with Roti, Paratha, or Naan. Or try serving it with Whole Wheat Kulcha.
- To make a complete meal, you can serve the Rajma Masala with the sides of Aloo Gobi (No Onion No Garlic), Palak Paneer Stir-Fry, or Aloo Palak (No Onion No Garlic).
Notes
- Kidney Beans (Rajma): You can use canned kidney beans, but I recommend starting with raw beans and cooking them at home for the best rajma masala. Also, it is essential to soak the rajma for at least 8 hours. And cook them in the pressure cooker until they are soft and thoroughly cooked. Alternatively, you can also cook rajma in an instant pot.
- Baking Soda: Sometimes, it takes a lot of time to pressure cook the kidney beans, and still, we do not get the soft texture. But adding a pinch of baking soda helps cook the beans faster with the perfectly cooked and soft texture.
- Tomato Mixture: It is essential to cook the tomato mixture for 12-15 minutes on low-medium heat until the raw taste of the tomatoes goes away. Also, the mixture should become thick and pulpy. Having the raw and sour taste of tomatoes in the rajma curry or any curry is unpleasant.
- Simmer The Curry For Longer: Cook the rajma masala on low heat for 20-25 minutes (just like Dal Makhani) for the best flavors and creamy texture.
- Make It Jain: This recipe is without onion and garlic, but if you follow the strict Jain diet and do not consume ginger, you can add dried ginger powder instead.
- Make It Vegan: Do not add ghee; use only oil to make this recipe vegan. Also, make the cashew paste using either water or non-dairy milk.
Nutrition (Approximate Values)
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