Rajma Recipe | Kidney Bean Curry

TL;DR: Hearty and spicy kidney bean stew. Indian soul food.

O Rajma, that humble stew of kidney beans, tomatoes, aromatics and spices.  It’s comfort food that you find in various regions across India, notably in roadside shacks (“dhabas”) in the North.  In my opinion a really great rajma recipe revolves primarily around the texture of the beans and the rich flavor of cooked tomatoes and aromatics.  The spices used are meant to complement these elements but not overwhelm them.

In America you tend to see rajma get compared to vegetarian chili quite frequently.  It’s basically Indian chili right? Well yes and no.  Sure, both rajma and chili are spicy bean and tomato-based stews.  Both tend to utilize a similar cross section of ingredients like cumin, garlic, peppers, etc.  And I’ve lost count at how many times I’ve been at a chili cookoff and the vegetarian entry is… rajma.  However, a great rajma includes ingredients such as ginger, ghee, cardamom, and methi (fenugreek), which you typically won’t find in your standard veggie chilli.  Moreover, rajma is more about celebrating the beans and the tomatoes than developing deep umami and complex texture like in a chili.

TOOLS & TIPS:  Respect the beans. Instant Pot is your friend.  VODKA.

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It’s all about the beans.  Kidney beans are an awesome source of fiber and a bunch of minerals and vitamins.  However, they are also really high in lectin, which can be very toxic if the beans are eaten raw. Good news is that cooking them reduces the lectin concentration and makes them perfectly safe to eat.  With that in mind, make sure to soak and cook the beans thoroughly.  I’ve found that soaking beans overnight in salt results in soft yet not blown-out beans when cooked.

While you can make this rajma recipe on a regular stove top pot, I prefer to use a pressure cooker.  I’ve found that pressure cooking helps get the flavors more infused in the beans as well as result in a softer and silkier texture overall.  And of course it will reduce the cooking time pretty significantly.  My pressure cooker of choice is the amazing Instant Pot, which also does like a million other things too.  If using a regular stove top pot, just make sure to allocate more time (an hour or so) for the beans to cook properly.

And yes, vodka.  Not a typo.  As it turns out, adding alcohol while cooking (to the food, not your throat) can help enhance the aroma of the dish.  For this rajma recipe, just make sure to use a flavorless alcohol (e.g. vodka NOT gin/whiskey/tequila).  This really lets the fragrance of the spices loose, which in turn helps the flavor open up.  Of course if you don’t consume any alcohol or don’t have vodka around, you can skip this step. *sniff*

THE PROCESS: Prepare beans, roast spices, cook everything.

Get everything together.  The vodka is for the rajma recipe, but I’m sure you’ll find other uses as well.

I like to have my spices measured and ready to go.

Heat the ghee, add bay leaves, star anise and cinnamon a sauté until fragrant.

Add half onion (sliced), salt, and cook until browned.

While onions are cooking, roast chiles and spices.  Start by dry roasting the chiles on a hot pan.  Flip frequently and make sure not to burn them, as they can get bitter.  I like roasting chiles separately to ensure that they don’t inadvertently burn.

Then dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cloves, and cardamom until fragrant and lightly browned.

Add chiles, spices, tomatoes, half onion, and ginger to a blender and puree. 

When onions are nicely browned, add garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until lightly browned.

Add tomato puree to pot and cook for about 10-15 minutes.

When tomatoes are reduced and the oils start visibly separating from the mixture, add turmeric and methi and cook for a couple of minutes.

Next, add the beans and water.

If using an Instant Pot, cook for 25 minutes and let the steam naturally release until the floating valve drops. Or if cooking on the stove top, cook for about an hour and check periodically until the beans are soft. Lastly, add vodka and cook for about 5 more minutes and then stir in the cilantro.

Time to eat.  Garnish with more cilantro and additionally with sliced chiles and onions for more bite and heat.  Eat with rotis, rice, or however you damn well please.  Vodka anyone?