Rajma Masala (No Onion No Garlic) / Kidney Bean Curry
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!
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)
Calories : 335kcalCarbohydrates : 47gProtein : 17gFat : 10gSaturated Fat : 1gPolyunsaturated Fat : 3gMonounsaturated Fat : 6gTrans Fat : 0.03gCholesterol : 1mgSodium : 981mgPotassium : 1121mgFiber : 12gSugar : 4gVitamin A : 578IUVitamin C : 11mgCalcium : 103mgIron : 6mg
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