Rajma recipe – Delicious & flavorful curry made with red kidney beans aka rajma. In Indian cuisine, a lot of legumes are eaten regularly as they are the main source of protein & fiber. Lentils, chickpeas, peas, black eyed peas and red kidney beans are some of them used to make curries.
Rajma chawal is a favorite combo in many North Indian households. Rajma masala is served with chawal (rice). Some onion & lemon wedges on the side is all you need to enjoy this delicious dish.
Chole, dal makhani, chana masala & rajma masala are some of the popular curries from North Indian Cuisine. These are always included on the restaurant menus or even made in most households regularly.
Rajma are fat free and has many benefits since they are high in fiber, folate and magnesium. High fiber promotes digestive tract health, folate & magnesium makes them a heart healthy food.
This rajma recipe will give you a thick, delicious & flavorful dish that you can serve either with plain basmati rice, Jeera rice, roti or naan.
Tips to make the best rajma
- Choosing Rajma: Always choose fresh stock of rajma as old stock beans don’t cook well. Check the packaged date. Some brands even label the harvest date.
- Soaking: Soak rajma well in ample amount of water for at least 8 hours to avoid tummy problems.
- Cooking: Always cook rajma until tender and soft. Al dente cooked beans do not taste good and are not good for tummy.
- Soaking and cooking properly enhances the bio availability of nutrients.
- Spices: Use a good dose of garam masala (spices) and ginger to cook the rajma as they not only flavor up the dish but also help in digestion.
- Rajma masala powder : I prefer to use a regular Punjabi garam masala for this rajma recipe. However you can also use any readymade rajma masala powder.
- Slow cooking is the key to a good delicious, thick & flavorful rajma. Once the rajma is added to the gravy, ensure they are cooked on a low flame for at least 10 to 15 mins. This simmering step brings out the flavor of rajma.
- Ghee or oil – I always feel ghee gives the best taste. You can also use oil for cooking and just pour 1 tbsp ghee towards the end.
How to make rajma masala thick?
Slow cooking for long time to some extent makes the curry thick. I know a lot of people mash the rajma lightly once they are cooked in the masala. But I do not do it as my kids don’t like the mashed rajma.
Here are my tips which will help you to get a thick gravy
- Blanch & puree the onions instead of grating or chopping.
- Puree the tomatoes and use. Chopped or grated tomatoes often separate water in the gravy.
- Blend 2 tbsp of soft cooked rajma with little water and add it to the simmering gravy. Or puree them along with tomatoes & use. This will triple the taste, flavor & texture of your rajma masala. You will be surprised at how good your rajma smells & tastes.
- I haven’t used any cream like they do in the restaurants, however you can add a bit towards the end if you like.
How to make one pot Rajma?
Making one pot rajma is a bit tricky and sometimes may be a failure if the beans are an old stock as they don’t get cooked. So it is like experimenting.
In this post I have shared 2 methods of making rajma.
First one is to cook the rajma first and then separately make the gravy. Then add the precooked beans to the gravy.
Second method is to make the onion tomato masala and then add the uncooked rajma. Pressure cook everything together until rajma turns soft.
Similar recipes,
Aloo Gobi
chana masala
dum aloo
Palak paneer
Punjabi chole
Easy rajma recipe
Rajma recipe
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 2 to 3 tbsp ghee or oil
- 1½ tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1¼ cup onions cubed (1 large)
- 1 cup tomatoes fine chopped (2 medium or ¾ cup puree)
- ¾ cup Rajma or kidney beans
- 2½ cup water (more if needed)
- 1 tsp ginger julienned
- 1 green chili slit
- salt as needed (about ½ tsp or more)
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves or cilantro fine chopped
- 2 tbsp cream (optional, for restaurant style)
Spice powders for rajma
- ¼ tsp turmeric or haldi
- ½ to ¾ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp garam masala powder or 1½ tsp rajma masala powder
- 1¼ tsp coriander powder (skip if using rajma masala)
- ¾ tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, optional)
Whole spices (optional)
- ½ tsp cumin or Jeera
- 1 small bay leaf or tej patta
How to make the recipe
Preparation
- Rinse and soak rajma for 8 hours in lot of water.
- Discard the water and rinse them well. Pour 2 cups fresh water.
- Cook them in a pot or pressure cook until soft but not mushy.
- Regular pressure cooker – 4 whistles on a medium flame.
- Instant pot – pressure cook on high pressure for 18 to 20 mins. Wait for the pressure to release naturally. (refer notes)
- If done correctly, the rajma must be soft when you bite into it. It should not be al dente or even slightly hard. They must hold their shape yet & not become mushy.
- If it is hard or al dente, pressure cook for 2 more whistles.
Onion tomato puree
- Add cubed onions to 2 cups of hot water and boil for 2 to 3 mins until transparent.
- Drain the water. Cool them and make a fine paste. Set this aside.
- In the same blender jar puree tomatoes. I also blend 2 tbsps of cooked rajma with the tomatoes to get a thicker gravy.
How to make rajma
- Heat a pan with oil and saute cumin & bay leaf until they sizzle.
- Saute ginger garlic paste until a nice aroma comes out.
- Add onion paste and saute until it turns golden.
- Saute tomato puree until the raw smell vanishes.
- Add all the spice powders and salt. Saute until the mixture turns thick.
- Add cooked rajma or kidney beans and pour rajma cooked water.(stock)
- Pour half cup water and stir. Add ginger juliennes and slit green chili.
- Cover & simmer on a low flame for 10 to 15 mins.
- Check if rajma are done completely. When you mash the rajma it must be soft.
- Sprinkle crushed kasuri methi & stir. Add coriander leaves.
- To get a restaurant style taste, pour 2 tbsp cream. Turn off the stove.
- Serve rajma with chawal (rice), onion and lemon wedges.
Video
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Notes
If you are a beginner or new to Indian cooking, I highly suggest you to check the supporting step by step photos for best results. Step by step photos with description available below after the recipe card.
Preparation
1. Wash and soak rajma in lot of water for at least 8 hours. Soaking helps to soft cook them well.
While you soak them , do not cover the pot completely. There must be a circulation of air to the soaked ingredients especially during hot summer days as it can make the beans sticky.
Wash them thoroughly before cooking.
2.If cooking directly in the pressure cooker, then pour 2 cups of water along with the rajma and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles on a medium flame.
This time I placed the rajma bowl inside the cooker and pressure cooked for 6 whistles. Rajma has to be soft cooked yet hold their shape.
Check if rajma is cooked by pressing it with your thumb and fore finger. It should get mashed easily. You can also bite and check it should not be al dente.
If they are al dente then cook them again for 2 more whistles.
3.While the beans pressure cook, prepare the onions and tomatoes. To make the onion paste, add onions to 2 cups of boiling water. Boil them for 2 to 3 mins. Drain them, cool and make a fine paste. Set this aside to a bowl.
4. In the same jar, I pureed tomatoes along with 2 tbsps of soft cooked rajma. The puree has to be smooth.
How to make rajma
5.Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Add bay leaf and cumin (both are optional). When the cumin sizzles, add ginger garlic and saute until a nice aroma comes out.
6. Add the onion paste.
7.Saute until it turns golden.
8.Add the tomato puree.
9. Add all the spice powders and salt.
10.Saute the masala until it leaves the sides of the pan.
11. Then add the soft cooked rajma along with the stock (rajma cooked water).
12. I added more water. Totally I used 2.75 cups water for the entire recipe.
13.Mix well and add 1 tsp ginger julinnes & green chilli (both are optional). Cover the pan. Simmer on a low flame for 10 to 15 mins.
14. After 15 to 16 mins, this will be the consistency of rajma masala. They must be tender and soft otherwise pour more water and cook for a little longer.
Sprinkle kasuri methi if using and mix well. Sprinkle coriander leaves.
You can also stir in 2 tbsps cream. I did not use cream.
Serve rajma hot with chawal, onion and lemon wedges.
Pressure cooker recipe
Second method This method does not need to pressure cook the beans first. Just make the gravy and then add the uncooked rajma. Pressure cook as mentioned below.
To follow this method, Measure the soaked rajma in cups. We will have to add an equal amount of water to soft cook them in the gravy.
1. Heat ghee or oil in a pot, saute cumin until they begin to splutter. Add ginger garlic or ginger paste and saute until the raw smell goes off.
2. Add chopped onions or onion paste. If you like a smooth gravy, then use onion paste. You can also make a paste of onion and tomatoes together, but i prefer separately as this tastes better.
3. Saute until the paste or onions turn golden.
4. Add tomato puree or chopped tomatoes.
5. Cook until the raw smell of tomatoes is gone.
6. Add red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric & salt.
9. Saute and cook until the mixture begins to leave the sides or the raw smell of the onion and tomato is gone.
10. Add rajma. I have added uncooked ones here.
11. Add same amount of water equal to the soaked rajma. For half cup rajma, you will get about 1 and 1/3 cup after soaking them for 8 hours. So i added the same amount of water to get the right consistency. You can also add little more water, if you like a thinner gravy.
12. Add ginger slices and 1 slit green chili.
13. Cover and pressure cook on a medium flame for 1 whistle. Lower the flame and cook for 2 more whistles. It took around 25 mins for me to get the last 2 whistles. However the timing may vary depending on the size or the base of your cooker.
14. When the pressure goes off completely, open the lid. This is the consistency i get to see.
15. Beans are completely soft cooked. Rajma must be completely soft cooked.
16. A thick restaurant style gravy is ready. You can garnish with coriander leaves.
Ways to fix uncooked kidney beans.
This method has always yielded me soft cooked beans, but beans that is of a very old stock doesn’t get cooked faster, in that case you can pressure cook first for 2 to 3 whistles and add to the gravy.
or after the last step check if they are under cooked, then add more water and continue to pressure cook for another 2 whistles on a medium flame.
Serve with roti, plain rice, jeera rice, onion & lemon wedges .
Nikita says
I love your tip section…they are amazingly helpful….definitely shows your experience ….I made samosas from tour recepie and they were
sooooo perfect….
swasthi says
Thank you so much Nikta
Glad to know they turned out perfect.
🙂
Shalini says
How can you make sure the smell of raw onion and tomato is gone, when I fry this masala for over 20 minutes the oil did not separate, tha remains portion was only one cup, the mixture had one medium onion, 2 tomatoes, a cube of ginger garlic paste, and all the dry spices
swasthi says
Hi Shalini,
It is fine even if the oil does not separate as it depends on the kind of cookware used. The mixture will turn thick. I have the video and step by step photos for your reference. Once the mixture becomes thick it means it is done. Yes it will become little as you said, you can find the same in my pictures. Hope this helps
Shana says
I had never even tried rajma masala before, but I followed this recipe exactly—except for the cream, which I did not have—and it was excellent. I found your site searching for recipes that use kidney beans; and now I can’t wait to try other recipes from your wonderful site.
Thank you for all the care that you put into creating and sharing these recipes!
swasthi says
Hello Shana
You are welcome! So glad to know your rajma turned out good. Thank you so much!
🙂
Dheeraj Mundhra says
Your recipes are perfect! followed the instructions as is – turned out to be finger-licking!
swasthi says
Glad to know! Thank you!
Pranali says
Hi Swasthi
Your recipes are perfect! My Rajma turned out to be wonderful ! Just had to because I follow your recipe exactly !!Your instructions and tips are extremely valuable and helpful. Since this lockdown has begun I got the opportunity to cook after really a long gap. I am taking this opportunity to tell you that I am getting all the appreciation from my Family for my cooking thanks to you. God bless you. Stay safe. Keep posting. Regards Pranali
swasthi says
Hi Pranali,
So happy to know the recipes are helpful. Thank you so much for the wishes.
You too stay safe!
Manisha says
I tried your recipe and came out to be very tasty rajma… Everyone loved it.. Thanks…
swasthi says
Welcome Manisha
Glad to know!
Gopi Muthusamy says
Thank you swasthi. Excellent instructions and great step by step photos really helped me, novice Cook, who is kind of forced to cooking, due to corona lockdown. Your recipe and instructions greatly helped, I just followed as it is and came out well. Only one thing I didn’t find is when to add salt , and I guess it would come naturally for regular cooking people, but for me, I had to miss,and later guess and added. Thank you
swasthi says
You are welcome! Glad to know the recipes are helping. It is already included in the recipe in both recipe card and stepwise instructions. Thank you
Sukhjit says
Hi Swasthi. I have recently started cooking and your blog is my main for Indian food as it’s so easily described.
I have a question. When I add anything to oil like ginger garlic to oil or onion paste to oil, I get huge splashes which is almost scary. Am I doing something wrong or is it expected?
swasthi says
Hi Sukhjit
Glad to know the recipes are helpful. Adding cold ingredients to hot oil will cause splashes. For instance if your are using ginger garlic from fridge, keep it out of the fridge for a while & add it before the oil turns very hot. I usually add it to warm oil to avoid the splatters. Hope this helps.
Philo says
Tried it came off well daughter loved it ,thanks a lot ….
swasthi says
You are welcome! Glad to know
Mo says
Hi Swasthi,
Should I use red chilli powder or Kashmiri red chilli powder?
Thanks in advance!!
swasthi says
Hi Mo
You can use any. Kashmiri is less hot and gives a brighter color
Mo says
Thank you for the fantastic recipe! I made it last night and it tasted like home!
swasthi says
Glad to know! Thank you
Mohana Kotian says
Hi Swasthi, since we are in lock down mode, am checking out all recipes and seeing how others do it. I just finished making rajma, your way and it has turned out really yummy. So thank you. Cant wait to eat it with chawal, limbu, onion and papad !! Best regards and stay safe
swasthi says
Hi Mohana,
You are welcome! Glad to know it turned out good. Thank you!
You too stay safe!
Juhi says
I made it today and it tasted yummyyy…. Thanks !!
swasthi says
Hi Juhi
You are welcome! Glad your rajma turned out good.
Thank you
Shubhaangi Srivastava says
I just wanted to tell you, how much I love all your recipes and the way you explain each step.
I never liked cooking especially Indian cooking cause for me it felt much more time taking and complex. However, living in Europe from the past 3 years and especially in these hard times since I missed home food too much, I attempted your recipes. From noodles to Rajma to Chola to gobi curry to paneer chilli to mutton curry to gulab jamun, etc. Every time I cook, I straight away go to your page for recipes.
Thank you so much for making it much easier for me to cook 🙂 Your instructions really make it simple and stepwise photos make it much more easier for me to understand things. I cannot put in words how grateful I am for your page.
Keep cooking and inventing and teaching 😀
Lots of wishes and hugs
Stay safe:)
swasthi says
Hello Shubhaangi,
Glad to know you! Thanks much for writing and the love. You made my day! So happy to know the recipes are helping you. Thanks again.
🙂
You too Stay safe!
Sandeep says
Swasthi Garu, i tried this recipe out and the rajma was delicious. Thank you sharing your wonderful this wonderful recipe.
swasthi says
Hello Sandeep garu,
You are welcome! Glad your rajma turned out delicious. Thank you
melrd says
Hi Swasthi. I haven’t made this yet and wondered whether I could use drained canned kidney beans with the equivalent amount of water? Thanks Mel
swasthi says
Hi Melrd,
Yes you can use with equivalent amount of water. You may add more later if needed. Hope you enjoy it
melrd says
Many thanks. I shall give the recipe a try in the near future. Tonight I’m making your Paratha recipe.
swasthi says
You are welcome. Yes do tryit
Komal says
Though I have been cooking for 15 years this is the best rajma I ever made in my life. Truly amazing recipe. I will be making your chole bathure sooon. Thank you.
swasthi says
Hi Komal
You are welcome. Glad you liked it. Thank you. Hope you enjoy it!
Anjana says
lovely recipe ! tried this out and came out perfectly . I omitted cream as well
swasthi says
Thank you!
Glad you liked it
Mona says
Thank you Swasthi for this recipe. My best friend’s mum used to make rajma for us when we were young and I have forever tried to find a recipe which would take me back to my childhood days and your recipe did just that. Thank you!
It’s easy simple and simply delicious !!!
swasthi says
Hi Mona,
You are welcome! Glad you liked it. Thanks for the comment.
🙂
Cole says
This recipe is so quick and easy. I was looking for a recipe for black eyed pea curry that an Indian friend once shared with me. I think he called it ‘boori’? I couldn’t figure out what dish that was, but it was so good. This is similar except it doesn’t have bell peppers. Thank you for helping me relive one of my favorite Indian dishes.
swasthi says
Hi Cole,
You are welcome! Glad to know. I have an almost similar recipe of black eyed peas here. You may check it. Thank you.
Jayshri says
Always a big fan of your recipe. You make it so simple and practical. The first thing I do to check out a new recipe is to Google swasthi.
Thankyou so much
swasthi says
Hi Jayshri,
You are welcome! Thank you so much! Happy to know you like the recipes.
🙂
Shaily says
I have made the rajma following this recipe and they came out really well. Tips/explanation were really helpful to understand why it has been done this way and output is good every time. Thank you 🙂
swasthi says
Hi Shaily,
You are welcome! Glad your rajma came out good. Thank you so much for the comment!