Punjabi Rajma Masala

Rajma masala is a very popular punjabi dish made with red kidney beans in spicy onion and tomato sauce.This is usually associated with Chawal .I have posted a recipe before as rajma masala.This time I tried with making the masala powder and then adding it to the curry.The taste of the rajma masala is completely changed when you add fresh ground spices,may be you could call it as a secret ingredient?.

Ingredients,
For the masala powder,

Coriander- 1 teaspoon
Red chilli- 2 whole ( dry red chillies)
Bay leaf- 1/4 of an inch
Cinnamon- 1/2 inch
Clove-1
Green cardamom -1 ( only seeds)
Cumin seeds-1/2 teaspoon
Fennel- 1/4 teaspoon
Black cardamom  - 1/2

Roast all the spices and grind this into fine powder.

For the sauce/gravy,

Onion- 1 medium ( chopped into small pieces)
Tomato - 1 medium ( chopped)
Ginger- 1/2 teaspoon ( grated)
Garlic - 1  pod ( made into paste I just grated it)
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice- 1/2 tablespoon ( you can alternate this with amchur  of 1/2 teaspoon)
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Rajma beans- 1 cup ( soaked for 8 hours)

1. Soak rajma beans overnight then cook the rajma with water in pressure cooker for 3 whistles.
2. In  a pan take 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the onions and tomatoes and grind this into paste with 1/2 cup of water.
3. Take 1 tbsp of oil in  the same pan and add ginger and garlic. sauté
4. Add the ground onion and tomato paste.stir well and bring it to boil.
5. Add cooked rajma along with the water left after cooking rajma to this gravy and the ground spices.
6. Add salt and bring it to boil.Stir well and let all the spices blend in.
7. Add lemon juice and mix well.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Roast all the spices for masala powder and grind

it into fine powder.

Saute chopped onions and tomatoes.

Grind it into paste with 1/2 cup of water.

In a pan take 1 tbsp of oil add grated ginger and garlic

 and add the ground paste.Bring it to boil.

Add cooked rajma along with water left after cooking rajma

.Add prepared masala powder and salt.Cook well

Add lemon juice and sprinkle with coriander leaves.

Rajma masala.

Rajma masala

Rajma masala or kidney beans masala.I usually make these with red kidney beans which are a bit small in size and brick colored.But there are also kidney beans available which are dark red or Maroon in color.Somehow I cannot cook them enough to be soft rajma.Rajma is usually preferred with Chawal or plain rice.I prefer rajma with rotis or jeera rice.

Ingredients for rajma,
Red kidney beans or rajma- 1 cup
Onion-1/2 of a big onion
Tomatoes-2 small ( chopped)
Ginger garlic paste-1/2 a teaspoon( I used only ginger paste 1/2 teaspoon)
Garam masala -1/2 a tbsp
Red chilli powder-  1/4 tbsp
Salt  -1 teaspoon( vary it to your taste)
Oil - 2 teaspoons.

1. Soak rajma for about 6 to 8 hours. Cook them unil soft ( I cook them in pressure cooker until 3 whistles with 1/2 cup of water). Cut onions and tomatoes ,sauté them in a teaspoon of oil and grind them into a fine paste.
2. Take a teaspoon of oil in a pan ,add ginger garlic paste , ground onions and tomatoes paste to it.Add 1/2 cup of water to it.
3. Cook for sometime till it starts bubbling.Add the cooked Rajma and garam masala and red chilli powder and salt to it.Cook it for a few minutes ,let it bubble for a few seconds.Remove it from heat .
4. Rajma should be ready by now to serve.