This Rajma Recipe is a tasty, one-pot meals that tastes delicious. A fragrant curry base made with North Indian spices, herbs, onions, and tomatoes is used to cook rajma over low heat. The name of this dish is rajma masala. It becomes rajma chawal when it’s served over basmati rice, which brings out its best flavor.
Yes, it is completely plant-based, gluten-free, and only takes 40 minutes to make. This recipe blog makes me feel better than the cooktop or Instant Pot do, haha. Don’t you have a pressure cooker? No problem! Canned red kidney beans are easy to use. There are steps for making both dried and canned rajma.
Rajma masala is a popular spice in North Indian homes and is also used a lot in dhabas and restaurants. My recipe is really easy to follow, and anyone can make it at home. It also has some tried-and-true suggestions and ideas for preparing it dhaba-style (for more flavor) or restaurant-style (for a creamier texture).
What is kidney beans?
Rajma is the Hindi word for kidney beans. Traditionally, dried kidney beans are soaked overnight and then boiled until they are soft. They are then put to a prepared onion-tomato roasted masala. Then they are cooked until they soak up the flavors and become soft enough to melt in your mouth.
I wanted to know how long it takes to cook a variety of kidney beans, so I experimented with a few different varieties. Chitra kidney beans boil quickly and have a light texture and taste. These dark red kidney beans take a little longer to cook. But they taste great, have a strong flavor, and also make your gravy thicker.
About the Rajma recipe
There are two ways to create this recipe.
- This is the traditional Rajma Masala recipe from Punjab. First, the soaked kidney beans are cooked under pressure until they are soft. At the same time, an onion-tomato masala is made. In the end, the soft boiled kidney beans are added to this masala and cooked.
- You can skip pressure cooking the beans separately if you choose the second method, which is a one-pot meal done in the pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Instead, everything is cooked at the same time.
- Chopped onions, tomatoes, and ground ginger and garlic are used to make the traditional Punjabi rajma or roasted masala. But you can utilize onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic in a lot of different ways, like grating them, boiling them, pureeing them, or chopping them up very little.For more dishes like this, you might like
Tips for Preparing Rajma Masala in the Instant Pot (With Pictures)
One cup of dried kidney beans (the ones shown in the images) or two 15-ounce cans of red kidney beans are sufficient for this recipe. If you’re using kidney beans that are already canned.
Get the kidney beans ready by soaking and cooking them under pressure.
- Put 1 cup of dried kidney beans in a big bowl and rinse them well in a lot of water.
Add 4 cups of fresh water and let them soak for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours. Soaking them well helps them cook faster and makes them simpler to digest. 
Don’t cover the bowl all the way while you soak kidney beans. Cover the kidney beans with a mesh basket or a thin, breathable cloth while they soak to keep them from getting too much air. This will stop the kidney beans from getting sticky. When you’re ready to cook, get rid of the water and rinse them well. - Put the kidney beans that have been soaked in a stovetop pressure cooker or Instant Pot. In the pressure cooker, add one and a half cups of water and cook for 4 to 5 whistles, or until the food is soft. Or, if you’re using an Instant Pot, cook for 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how old the kidney beans are. It takes longer to cook older kidney beans. They should be tender but still keep their shape after cooking. When you rub the kidney beans with your fingertips, they will break easily. If they are al dente, cook them under pressure for two whistles or a few more minutes while you have the seasoning ready.
You will need these items for Rajma recipe:
- 1 cup (120 grams) of finely chopped onion (two medium-sized onions, grated, or cooked and pureed)
- 5 cups (300 grams) of tomatoes, which can be two large tomatoes that have been pureed, one cup of canned tomato puree, or three to four tablespoons of double-concentrated tomato paste without additional citric acid.
- 1 chopped green chile or serrano chili (optional)
- 5 teaspoons of ginger-garlic paste (or 1 teaspoon of each, minced and crushed)
Make Masala with Onions and Tomatoes
- In a frying pan, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee or oil.
- You can add a bay leaf and half a teaspoon of cumin seeds if you want.
- Add the onion and green chilies when the seeds start to pop.
- Fry over medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste.
- Fry for 30 to 60 seconds, stirring every so often, until they are golden brown.
- Mix in the tomato puree and heat for about 3 minutes, or until the tomatoes don’t taste raw anymore.
Mix the spices:
- 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1/2 to 1/4 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder (1 teaspoon for really hot chile)
- 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of coriander powder
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the smell is strong
- Mix the stock with the soft-cooked kidney beans. To make it thicker, add about half a cup to a cup of boiling water. If you use canned kidney beans, put them in a sieve to get rid of all the water and rinse them before adding them.
- Stir well and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt to taste, 1/4 teaspoon of garam masala (optional), and 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of kasuri methi (ground in your hands first).
- This is how thick it will be. You can add 2 teaspoons of heavy cream if you want to.
- It will get a little thicker as it cools. If you want, you can add 2 teaspoons of coriander leaves and 1/2-inch slices of ginger to the top.
Make your Rajma More Special
- Creamy like at a restaurant: Let ¼ cup of cooked rajma masala cool slightly, then combine it with ¼ cup of heavy cream/cooking cream or homemade malai in a small blender. Add the smooth puree to the hot rajma masala that you made. At this stage, you might need to change the salt.
- To make a special dhaba-style garnish, heat 1.5 tablespoons of ghee in a small tadka pan. Put in 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 2 dried red chilies, 2 green chilies (with the seeds taken out), and 1 teaspoon of finely sliced ginger (1/2 inch). Stir-fry over low heat for a minute or two, or until the ginger smells good. Add a sprinkle of asafoetida and 1/4 teaspoon of red chili powder (optional) after you turn off the heat. Put this mixture on top of the rajma masala that is ready.
This is our regular rajma, so I haven’t bothered with the steps listed above. I only use the unique finishing touches for exceptional events, and I’ve always gotten great feedback for both.
When serving, add lemon juice. Serve the rajma hot over rice, onions, and lemon slices.
Step-by-step pictures on how to make rajma masala in a pressure cooker
Here are pictures of how to make it in an Instant Pot, as well as tips for making it on an Indian stove. I tried this recipe in both a 3-liter steel cooker and a pressure cooker to see how many whistles it made. But if you have a different cooker, you might have to cook for longer.
- In a pressure cooker, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee or oil. Press the saute button on an Instant Pot and keep going. Add the onions, a tiny bay leaf, and half a teaspoon of cumin seeds, and then sprinkle with half a teaspoon of salt. Saute until the onions are golden brown and soft. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook it for 30 to 60 seconds.
Don’t skip this step, and be careful not to burn them. The onions that have been caramelized give the meal a great taste and help the curry soak in, making it thicker. This phase takes roughly 5 to 6 minutes.
Mix in all the spice powders:
- 1/2 to 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin that has been toasted
- Turn off the heat (on the stove or in the Instant Pot, hit the cancel button) and mix all the spices together well. Don’t let them catch fire.
Make Rajma Masala
- If you’re using an Instant Pot, mix the soaked, drained, and rinsed kidney beans with 2 cups of water. Add 2 1/4 cups of water to an Indian Whistling Cooker that goes on the stove. Mix well and rinse the pot carefully to get rid of any food that may be clinging to the bottom.
- Put a cover and a weight on the Indian stovetop cooker. Cook under pressure for 4 to 5 whistles over medium heat. Please keep in mind that the number of whistles may change depending on your cooker. In the meantime, put the tomato puree in a small bowl or pot and simmer it over medium heat until it doesn’t taste raw anymore. Put a lid on the pot so it doesn’t splash. This should take between 5 and 6 minutes.Instant Cooker: Set the Instant Pot on a trivet and set the bowl of tomato puree on top. Put the lid on the Instant Pot, press the pressure cook button, and set the timer for 18 minutes.
- Wait for the pressure to release on its own after the food is done cooking in the pressure cooker. (Picture of tomato puree that has been cooked)
- Take off the lid and see if the kidney beans are mushy. They should taste like they melt in your lips. That’s what we desire. Use a spoon to mash them up. They need to be very soft! But they keep their shape well. If you want your gravy to be thicker, mash up 1–2 teaspoons of kidney beans and stir them back in.
Finish the food
- Mix well, then add the tomato puree and cook for 2 to 4 minutes on low heat. You won’t smell any raw tomatoes. You can change the consistency by adding extra hot water if you want. It will get thicker as it cools if you don’t serve it right away. If you want it thinner, add 1/2 to 1/4 cup of boiling water and simmer it on low heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t use cold water here!
- Taste and change the salt. If you need to, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of garam spice and 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of kasuri methi (kasuri methi). Remove from heat and stir.Add chopped coriander leaves and fresh ginger slices to the Rajma Masala.Squeeze some lemon juice over the Rajma and serve it with rice, sliced cucumbers, and raw onions.
Expert Tips For Rajma Recipe
- Choosing kidney beans: To get the freshest kidney beans, always buy them from a store that runs out of stock rapidly. Older kidney beans (those that have been on the shelf for a while) take longer to cook, and sometimes they don’t cook at all. Do not consume these at any costs because they are not digestible.
- But if you want to utilize stock you already have, you can soak them in salt or baking soda, as shown below.
- Soaking kidney beans: Soak kidney beans for 8 to 12 hours, making sure they are completely covered. Soaking kidney beans before boiling them makes them easier to digest and reduces gas and bloating. Not only does this technique make the kidney beans softer and cut down on cooking time, but it also makes them creamy and tender. It’s easier to digest kidney beans that are well-cooked.
- Don’t eat sticky kidney beans. If you soak kidney beans for too long after cooking them or leave them in stock, they can get sticky because they weren’t cooked right. Don’t cover the bowl while the beans are soaking. They need good air flow as they soak. Put a mesh basket or a lightweight, permeable cloth over them.
- If you soak them for more than eight hours, you should change the water at least once and rinse them well after soaking.
- Don’t eat kidney beans that aren’t fully cooked. Eating kidney beans that aren’t fully cooked is very risky and can make you sick. That’s why you shouldn’t cook kidney beans without soaking them first.
How can you make Rajma Masala thicker?
When you cook curry for a long time at low heat, it gets a little thicker. I know that a lot of folks lightly mash the kidney beans after they’ve been cooked in the seasonings. These are some tips that will help you make your gravy thicker.
- Instead of chopping or slicing onions, boil them and then blend them.
- Use tomatoes as a sauce. Chopped or grated tomatoes often make the gravy watery.
- Add 2 tablespoons of soft, cooked kidney beans that have been ground or mashed with a little water to the boiling gravy. You may also use them as a purée with the tomatoes. This will make the flavor, smell, and texture of your kidney beans masala three times better. You won’t believe how amazing your kidney beans smell and taste.
- I didn’t use cream like they do in restaurants. You can, however, add a little cream at the end if you want to.
Frequency asked question
When soaking kidney beans, how long should the soak time be?
Soak the rajma for at least 8 hours for it to become tender and delicious. But if you’re in a rush, just boil some water and soak them for five hours. Rajma that has been soaked thoroughly becomes creamier and softer, and it also makes digestion simpler.
When cooking kidney beans, how many whistles are needed?
Pressure 4-5 whistles while cooking kidney beans over medium heat. But the sort of stove determines this. With only four or five whistles, smaller cookers and pressure pans can cook food much more quickly. The cooking time for organic, non-GMO, older beans is longer. In order to cook them with four or five whistles, soak them for approximately twelve hours.
How to boil kidney beans without soaking them initially?
With three cups of water almost to a boil, add in one cup of kidney beans. Put a lid on it and let it sit for 25 minutes. Do this three or four times, making sure to drain the water each time. If you don’t soak and cook red kidney beans all the way through, they can be poisonous. So make sure you do it right.
The best way to cook canned beans for Rajma?
Remove all liquid from the containers. Under running water, rinse the kidney beans well. The tinned beans will have their excess salt removed in this way. Be certain they are not too hard and should be soft. To soften, boil them in water that is not salty if they are still crunchy. Toss in some canned kidney beans with some onion and tomato masala, and then boil them with some fresh water.
