Rajma Chawal (Kidney Bean Curry)
June 29th, 2008 filed under Dal (Lenthils), VeganRajma chawal (kidney beans with rice) is a great combination. This is a complete meal in it self.
Serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup kidney beans (rajma)
- 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 1 green chili
- 3 tablespoon oil
- Generous pinch of asafetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 tablespoon coriander powder (dhania)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 medium chopped tomato for garnishing
Method
- Wash and soak the kidney beans in about six cups of water for at least 6 hours (kidney beans will be double in volume after soaking).
- Cut the tomatoes in small pieces, green chili slice lengthwise and take out the seeds (if you prefer mild). Next blend tomatoes, green chili, and ginger and make a paste.
- Heat the oil in pressure cooker. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed. If the seed cracks right away, the oil is ready. Add asafetida and cumin seeds, as the cumin seeds crack add tomato paste, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, black pepper, and paprika.
- Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the oil is separating from the mixture.
- Add kidney beans, salt, and three cups of water close the cooker. Cook on medium high heat.
- As pressure cooker starts steaming turn the heat down to medium and cook for about 12 minutes.
- Close the heat and wait until steam has stopped before opening the pressure cooker.
- Kidney beans should be soft and tender. Lightly mash the kidney beans while mixing. Adjust salt, and pepper to your taste.
- Garnish with chopped tomatoes.



Loading ...
August 8th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Hi,
I just wanted to tell you that your recipies and videos are great! And also thank you for providing this service. Your videos are so much better than a recipe book. I’m excited to try this recipe, the third one I’ve tried in as many days!
Take care.
August 2nd, 2008 at 11:33 am
Hi Kuldip,
If you go back to the Naan recipe and scroll down to the Comments and read through them, you will find a lot of useful information about the stone (called a Pizza Stone in the U.S) but if you can’t locate one in a store where you live, you can also us a good quality heavy cookie sheet (also talked about in the Naan Comments).
If you still have questions, please reply back so we can help you.
August 2nd, 2008 at 9:08 am
After seeing your cooking, I have started Indian food liking. Normally I like european food and ready to eat food, I love to go out and eat Macdonalds and burgers but after watching your videos I have started cooking at home and trying to eat simple and healthy food. Most fascinating is to say that you are very simple and your cooking methods are simple too and easy to pick-up and easy to follow. I have started to eat more vegitalbe food after seeing your cooking. So thanks for your support and help.
August 2nd, 2008 at 9:00 am
Big compliments for guing in simpl ways to make graet dishes. I have used your style of making foods and feeling happy. Kindly tell about stone to cook Rotis in oven. (In one of your Nan video you have used stone).
August 2nd, 2008 at 3:56 am
Hi Manjula,
Thank you for your website. I’m really fond of Indian recipes and
I’ve just tried your Rajma Chawal. It was great!
Regards.
Yasmina
July 28th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Hello Jyoti, I use magic bullet, I find it very handy
July 28th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I have presto 8 quart cooker.
July 24th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
I also want to know which pressure cook you use. New in USA
July 24th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Hi ,
What mixer are you using ? Is it Magic Bullet?
July 24th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Dear Manjula aunty,myself Dr Umesh and my wife Udaya enjoyed learning rajma chawal and thankyou very much for that lovely demonstration.
We hope to try out some of your other dishes as well.
Regards,
Umesh and Udaya
24th July 2008
July 14th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I like Sujata brand flour and thats what I use.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
hi Manjula aunty!
Your recipes are really nice and helpful. I had a problem making Purries. Just saw ur recipe now. Will try them soon. Also,which brand of Wheat flour should i use here in US(new to us so don know much abt the brands here) ?Im currently using Sujata brand. Guess its from Pillsbury! Should i change over to some other brand? Kindly help.
July 13th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Hello Julia, use 2 15oz can of kidney beans keep every thing same. Just wash can kidney beans before using.
July 13th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Hi Manjula, I came to your class a few weeks ago and have enjoyed trying out some of the recipes you shared with us. # 1 hit in the family is the chickpea curry or chole. I haven’t been able to get the hang of testing the heat of the oil by throwing in the cumin seed - I’ve reverted to using a small piece of onion instead - that way I am less likely to end up with burnt cumin seeds!
I wanted to try this kidney bean curry but dont have a pressure cooker. I have bad memories of my father using one to cook a Christmas pudding and the whole thing exploded. Luckily no one was hurt! Anyway, I would love to see your suggestion for cooking tin beans (including quantity) without a pressure cooker….I’m guessing it might take just 8 mins, like the chickpeas.
I am having fun checking out your website and your recipes and the videos really help with the small details that make the recipes turn out just right.
Julia
July 10th, 2008 at 5:43 am
Thanks Jaya. Actually, I did skip the paprika and the dish was still tasty.
Shobha
July 8th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
This is great comfort food. I was also concerned about the softness of the beans, although they seemed fine when I ate it–maybe we’re all just used to the canned kind? I’m guessing they’re supposed to be tender but not falling apart, right?
July 8th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Hi Shobha,
Paprika is actually a Hungarian spice. Because of its bright red color, people sometimes mistake it for red chilli powder or assume it must be hot.
Interestingly, paprika only gives color, no hotness. If you don’t have it, just skip it. It’s easy to find in US grocery stores, but elsewhere I don’t know.
July 8th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Hi Manjula aunty
I love your recipes. Thank you very much. What is paprika? All along I was thinking it is red chily powder. Where can I get paprika?
Thanks
Shobha
July 5th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Hi auntyji,
Thanks a lot for the recipe.. I love rajma and chawal… We used to eat in our hostel before… I tried a lot of recipes but nothing was satisfactory… Urs was awesome… but I just felt the rajma was not soft enough… Though i kept it for lil longer than u said.. It was still not very tender… Can u suggest me something for that?? I just soaked the rajma in hot water as i thought I might not get the 6 hrs u said… is that the problem??
Anyway thank u so much for u recipes…
Priyakrish
June 30th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I used to have an electric top stove. To keep clean, take out the plates, line them with aluminum foil. Gently press the foil down to be flat on the plate and then crimp the foil over all of the edges by about a half inch.
When they become messy or you have a spill, just change the foil after cool enough to handle.
Manjula wrote in another reply that she keeps a wet dish cloth handy and wipes up messes as they happen rather than waiting until done cooking.
If you get turmeric (haldi) on the white stove or light colored counter top, put a small amount of SoftScrub (the one with bleach) on a damp cloth and rub until stain comes out. Wipe with a clean cloth when done.
Indian cooking is notorious for making your kitchen look like a cyclone came through it. While waiting for something to cook or boil, start washing up dishes and pots already used.
It takes some effort and motivation, but soon becomes habit.
June 30th, 2008 at 10:04 am
i too agree with namitha…hw do u keep ur stove soo sparkling clean….i find it difficult to clean those plates n coils….this website is also very very nice n easy….good pics…please keep posting lovely recipies..
June 30th, 2008 at 6:44 am
Aunty, One thing I was surprised is your stove looks always neat like new one.How to keep it clean.I love your recipes very much.Keep posting new ones.