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- 1 1/2 cups red kidney beans (lal rajmah) soaked overnight
- 1 tablespoon split gram (channa dal) soaked overnight
- salt to taste
- 2 onions
- 6 to 8 garlic flakes
- 1″piece ginger
- 6 tablespoons oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 1 black cardamom
- 3 tomatoes-pureed in a blender
- 1/2 cup yogurt- beaten well
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mando powder “Aamchur”
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Method:
Pressure cook red kidney beans, split gram and add salt with 6 cups of water. Let it cook till it gives one whistle. Keep on low flame for 20 minutes and then remove from fire and keep aside. If you do not have a pressure cooker, add 7 to 8 cups of water and let it cook on medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes.
Grind the onion, ginger and garlic to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add bay leaf, black cardamom and cloves. Wait for a minute.
Add onion paste and stir fry till golden brown.
Reduce heat. Add turmeric, coriander powder, dry mango powder, garam masala and red chilly powder. Stir for a few seconds.
Add pureed tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes turn dry and oil separates.
Add beaten curd and stir continuously on low flame till the masala turns red again and the oil separates.
Strain and add the pressure cooked rajmah, by keeping the liquid aside. Stir fry on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes, mashing occasionally.
Add the water of the rajmahs and pressure cook again for 8 to 10 minutes on low flame after the first whistle.
Remove from fire. Add freshly chopped cilantro. Serve hot with white rice or Indian bread.
Note: If you find the gravy too thick , add 1/2 to 3/4 cup boiling water to it and simmer for 5 minutes.
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Good recipe. And I have everything I need, except for the Mango Powder (but I know where I can get it). I love kidney beans and have a bunch on hand – I’ll definitely keep this in mind. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thanks a lot.
One of my favorites, and I like the idea of adding curd to this, yumm..
Lovely recipe Asmita, I have to see about this Mango powder..
Have a nice week my friend!
Hi eri,
Thanks so much. If you don’t have dry mango powder just add more yogurt. It’s basically to give it a tangy flavor.
this is EXACTLY how my sister makes chole, but without yogurt. My mom makes Rajma often, but I wasn’t aware yogurt goes in it? Do most people add yogurt. It’s so pathetic I’ve never bought fresh rajma or chole, I use cans, hence why I never posted. This recipe looks amazing.. but please let me know about the yogurt.
And I prefer my Rajma thick.
Thank you so much. When we were kids, the food at home used to be a typical Maharashtrian fare which mainly consisted of varan(Dal),rice and lots of fish. My mom never made rajma and chole but I used to hog it when I visited friends homes.
It’s only after marriage that I started cooking rajma. My mother in law introduced me to this cookbook which I love. I am not sure whether people add yogurt to their rajma, but do know from some of my north Indian friends, that typically it is served with rice and yogurt on the side.
the rajma chawal and whole plate looks delicious.
i have never made rajma this way by browning the onions. i do it the way my mil does, as thats what the hubby likes.
yogurt is added to rajma in some punjabi households. at home we don’t add yogurt but some folks do add yogurt.
Thank you so much Dassana,
We love rajmah-chawal. Would love to know how you make it. I am sure tastes fantastic! Is it on your blog?
A long time ago, before I really got into cooking, I stayed away from Indian food because of the long list of ingredients… then I finally got brave and bought a whole bunch of Indian spices and there was no turning back. Now I use those spices pretty much every time I cook and love it so much! The only spice I don’t have on your list up there is Aamchur. Can I do away with it or substitute it with something else?
Hi Margarita,
So good to know that you enjoy and cook Indian food. If you don’t have aamchur, just add more tomatoes or add more yogurt. It’s just to give the dish a little tangy flavor.
This looks so good
Looks delicious! Very flavorful, I’d love to try this curry.
Rajma is made once a week at my place.
I always look for your method because your dishes have always been flavourful!
I made your tangy dal with turkey kebabs the other day for lunch and enjoyed it a lot!
I use canned rajma.Could I skip the channa dal ? Will it affect the taste of the dish?
Hi Indu,
Thank you so much for cooking my recipes and for your lovely comments. Of course you can use canned rajma, the channa dal acts like a thickening agent. If you want to skip it, you can. It will not affect the taste. Let me know if you try. Would love to hear from you.
This is the first I have seen of curry with kidney beans! This is a nice alternative to chili and probably more healthy as well. Some of these ingredients are new, but I will look into that. It looks fantastic. Have a great day!
Thanks Tina.
Hi Asmita – I love curry, I don’t really make it much at all though because I’m not very good at it, lol
This looks delicious and best of all – “non-threatening” to make though… or at least, you explain it really well so it doesn’t seem difficult. I think I will try it on the weekend hopefully, but tell me – what’s “mando powder”? I never heard of it before…
Hi Charles,
Thanks so much. Dry mango powder is “Aamchur”. It gives a tangy flavor to a dish. If you don’t have it, just add a little more tomatoes or yogurt. Or even better add a dash of lime or lemon juice in the end when the dish is ready.
So pretty on your plate…and yummy, too, I’m sure
Rajmah is a favourite dish of mine and yours looks delicious
I love my curry!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
very nice!!!!!perfect with a bowl of steaming hot basmati rice and salad!…..nicely done.
Thanks Simran.
I never paid close attention before but I just learned from you that I need to wait for a minute after adding oil + bay leaf, black cardamom and cloves. I tend to touch the ingredient and stir already but I think leaving it will help oil get some fragrance. Thanks for the tip!! Looks yummy!!
Thanks Nami.
This is so flavourful! More rice please
Asmita – this sounds delicious! Perfect comfort food, yummmm!
What a lovely fresh meal, and I’m sure the cucumber paired perfectly with the hearty bean curry. I am not a huge cardamon fan, but in small doses I can take it — it tastes very perfumey to me.
I will admit to having heard about rajma but having no idea how to cook it before this post. Thanks for broadening my culinary horizons! And oh, how gorgeous is the color of the finished product? Love!
What pretty plating and tasty looking process photos!
channa dal in rajma… that sounds interesting would love to try this one out…looks amazingly creamy
It’s like a chili-curry. And I love chili!
Looks very simple but FULL of flavor, I love bean dishes like this.
Great vegetarian bean dish. Love how you explain the procedures making the recipe easys to execute.
I never appreciated bean dishes until I started blogging, now I love them. This one looks great-love the flavors.
Such a healthy recipe! I love this and really would like to try it. Your photos look lovely too
I love this on sunday afternoons. Nicely done and I see that you added some chana daal in it.It is one of my favorite with rice.
this is totally new to me but I love the idea behind it and the different flavors involved!
wooww wowww this rajma looks so yummyy
Rajma chawal..one of my fav..looks lovely!
This looks like a very healthy version.
The rajma curry looks very flavourful. This is our standard Sunday meal. I have never added chana dal to the rajma though I add it to chick peas sometimes. Will try next time.
How nutritious is this dish! I love it! I can see myself having spoonful after spoonful especially with all the spices!
Having rajma on sunday afternoon was a long standing tradition in my house! I love homemade rajma and your version sounds delicious.
My husband loves any kind of curry so I’m sure he would enjoy this very much! It looks delicious, Asmita!
oh the platter is so welcoming. I want some right now. looks creamy and yummy.
Asmita! it’s a very delicious meal you’ve made there! I will make it one of those days.
Yum! This look so delicious, packed with lots of flavors…thanks for sharing this recipe and hope you are having a wonderful week Asmita
Perfect for vegie me! Looks really beautiful. Your blog makes me so hungry!
I love curry in any way shape or form that I can get it! This looks great.
Asmita look really delicious!! gloria
This looks reall good, a lovely change from a regular dhall! I only ever use red kidney beans for chilli con carne, this will help expand my repertoire! xx
Looks absolutely fantastic! Thanks for this.
I love beans. In fact I love them more than any other legume. This is a very delicious and healthy curry Asmita!
I love making curries from scratch, and I’m adding this to my list. Yum. Thanks for sharing.
What a lovely presentation. Perfectly cooked onions are worth the wait. I’m a southerner and we love our red beans, actually any kind of beans.
Sam
This sounds delicious. I love bean dishes, and all the spices here sound wonderful. Perfect to make ahead and enjoy for lunch throughout the week.
I have never tried red bean and making curry out of it. We boil the beans and add some coconut milk and sugar, chilled and eaten as a cooling dessert.
I like that you have use the beans for curries and still we love curries too, this will be a great try out for me.
Hi Nava,
Never tried red beans as a dessert. That is so unique and interesting. I am sure it tastes great especially with the coconut milk.
Surprisingly I have never seen this dish, and you know how I adore curries
Looks really delicious!
What a beautiful dish! I think I am overwhelmed by all the different kinds of beans used in Indian cooking. Do you have a post going over the different kinds and which beans are used in which kinds of dishes. Or do you recommend a website that help with my understanding that you recommend? Take Care, BAM
Rajma chawal is one of my all time favorite comfort foods……haven’t had it for a while……..drooling while fasting