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Rajma Masala (aka Rajma Chaval) - South Asian Kidney Bean Curry

This classic Punjabi/North Indian comfort food is all about big flavours and simple ingredients. Most recipes require a fair bit of waiting, but this version simplifies things into a weeknight-friendly electric-pressure cooker variation with only a handful of steps. For an even easier (and creamier!) curry, you can do all the chopping/mincing with a blender.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Indian
Keyword kidney bean curry, punjabi kidney beans, rajma chawal
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
depressurizing time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 182kcal

Equipment

  • Electric Pressure Cooker (e.g. Instant Pot)
  • Blender or food processor (optional, but ideal for quick prep - see note)

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups kidney beans
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 large white onion
  • 2 tbsp ginger (~2 inches)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1-2 green chilies (see note)
  • 2 cups diced tomatoes fresh or canned
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil

Spices

  • 2 tsp kashmiri chili powder or paprika (see note)
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1.5 tsp coriander
  • 1.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
  • 1 clove

To Finish

  • 1 tsp garam masala or to taste
  • 1/4 cup cream (optional - see note)
  • salt to taste
  • cilantro (or dried methi - optional)
  • cooked basmati rice

Instructions

Prep Steps (Both Methods)

  • Grind any whole spices. Mix all of the spices except the garam masala and set them aside.
  • Blend (or very finely chop) the onion, garlic, ginger, and chilies. Scrape the mixture out and set it aside. Don't bother cleaning up your blender, as you'll use it for the tomatoes next.
  • Blend/puree the tomatoes with their juices. Set aside.
    (If you're not using a blender or food processor, finely chop the tomatoes, or use crushed tomatoes or passata).

Electric Pressure Cooker (IP) Method

  • Add vegetable oil to the electric pressure cooker. Set to sauté, and allow the oil to heat up. Add the salt and spices (minus garam masala) and sauté for 30 seconds.
  • Add the onion mixture from the first prep step and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly.
  • Add the tomatoes to the pot and sauté for an additional 3 more minutes.
  • Add the water and beans. Stir the mixture and seal the pressure cooker, then cook at high pressure for 45 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to release naturally.
  • Finish with garam masala, salt to taste, and cream (if desired). Garnish with fresh cilantro or dried methi. Serve with basmati rice.

Stovetop Method

  • Precook the dry beans using your preferred method, or substitute 3 cups of rinsed, pre-cooked (e.g. canned) kidney beans.
  • Add vegetable oil to a large pot on the stovetop. Set heat to medium, and allow the oil to heat up. Add the salt and spices (minus the garam masala) and sauté for 30 seconds.
  • Add the onion mixture from the first prep step and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly.
  • Add the tomatoes to the pot and sauté for an additional 5-6 minutes, stirring regularly.
  • Add the cooked beans along with approximately 1 cup of the water. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the flavours have blended and the beans are very tender.
  • (Optional) Add more of the water to the rajma masala if you want it a little thinner/soupier. Add a few tablespoons at a time until you're satisfied with the consistency.
  • Finish with garam masala, salt to taste, and cream (if desired). Garnish with fresh cilantro or dried methi. Serve with basmati rice.

Notes

Equipment Note - Both the blender (or food processor) and the electric pressure cooker are optional, but they make rajma masala MUCH simpler to make.  The blender in particular eliminates a ton of chopping and gives you a nice, smooth curry.  If you don't have an electric pressure cooker, you can still make this a simple and speedy meal by using canned or pre-cooked kidney beans.
Green Chilies - I use small and relatively mild green chilies to make rajma masala.  You can also use serrano chilies or jalapeños, though they'll generally be a bit hotter.  If you're spice-averse, you can even use about 1/4 of a green bell pepper.
Kashmiri Chili Powder - If you don't have kashmiri chili powder, you can use good paprika (sweet or hot, per your personal tastes).  You can add a little cayenne pepper too if you want to amp up the spice level.
Cream - You don't have to add cream to your rajma, but it does add richness and depth of flavour.  Restaurant-style rajma will almost always have cream added - often quite a lot more than called for here.  If you want to keep the recipe entirely plant-based, consider substituting coconut cream.  It will impart a slight coconut flavour to the recipe, but this works quite nicely with the beans and spices.
Serving Size - It's tough to generalize serving sizes for curries like this, as it depends on how much rice (and/or naan, roti, etc.) you serve it with.  This quantity easily serves eight, but could be stretched out to serve many more with sides and other curries.  The recipe halves fairly easily, but also makes excellent leftovers, so don't be afraid to make a bit more than you need.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 484mg | Potassium: 689mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 758IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 4mg