Simple Gluten Free Kitchen

Instant Pot Rajma / Spiced Kidney Beans

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Nothings says comfort food like Rajma Chawal on a Sunday afternoon. Ask any Punjabi about rajma and they will tell you they grew up eating this hearty beans over rice in their home as a Sunday lunch. Rajma means red kidney beans in Hindi language and the final dish prepared by cooking kidney beans in a spiced tomato-onion masala is also called ‘Rajma’.

 

 

Kidney beans are rich in protein and a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans’ high fiber content help maintain blood sugar levels in the body. But the one reason that stands out is that rajma make one delicious dish!

Rajma is almost always served with rice hence the words rajma chawal. It’s a divine combination of food and I most definitely feel that certain dishes tastes heavenly only if served in right combination. Though you can also serve it with any Indian flatbread like roti or naan, if you prefer.

 

 

Rajma is made a little differently in every household, some use onions some don’t. My recipe is a mix of how my mom used to make it. I boil the kidney beans with cinnamon, black cardamom, bayleaf, fenugreek seeds and whole cloves. Then add the roasted onion tomato masala to it. The beans have to be soaked in  water, to speed up the cooking process. I find that the texture is better when using soaked kidney beans. It doesn’t matter if you soak the beans overnight or use the quick-soak method. Either way the Instant Pot rajma comes out perfect. The key points in a good rajma recipe is that the kidney beans should be well cooked but not mushy either and the gravy should not be watery. I originally posted this back in 2011 and now converting the recipe to instant pot.

 

 

Do try out and find out why Punjabis love this dish so much.  Even most college hostels in Punjab serve rajma chawal on Sunday afternoon.

 

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Instant Pot Rajma / Spiced Kidney Beans

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 35 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rajma
  • 1 tsp methi dana (Fenugreek seeds)
  • 1 -2 " cinnamon
  • 2 pieces black cardamom
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 large onion, 3/4-1 cup ground
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tomatoes, roughly diced
  • 1 tbsp. ginger and garlic paste
  • 3-4 green chilies
  • 8-9 cilantro stems with leaves, top part
  • Total 8 cups boiling water
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 3/4 tsp red chili powder
  • 2 tsp kasoori methi
  • Extra cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

  1. Rinse and sort red kidney beans.
  2. Place them in the inner pot of IP with 6 cups of boiling water.
  3. Cover with a lid and let the beans soak for 2 hours.
  4. After two hours, add two more cups of water. Add cinnamon, black cardamom, bay leaf, fenugreek seeds and cloves.
  5. Cover, twist to lock the lid, and turn the valve to sealing. Press manual/pressure cook function and set for 13 minutes (the default setting of the pressure cooking is high but I like to cook rajma on lower pressure so I adjust to low for 30 minutes (the cooking time varies by the type of red kidney beans and whether they were pre-soaked).
  6. Once your Instant Pot has come to pressure, let it cook until the timer runs out. Then let the pressure release naturally.
  7. Remove kidney beans in a bowl.
  8. Grind tomatoes with green chilies and cilantro
  9. After removing beans wipe out the instant pot insert.
  10. Select saute on normal. When hot add oil. Wait 1 minute add ground onion and ginger garlic paste. Cook stirring.
  11. When the masala starts sticking to the pot add some water. Then add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Fry for a minute.
  12. Next add tomatoes. Cook till they are soft and pulpy. Add rajma with all the water.
  13. Once it comes to boil, use (sauté) less mode until masala combines really well with rajma and the gravy thickens to desired consistency. (The sauté function is preset to 30 minutes. When it reaches maximum time you can select the function again and continue cooking).
  14. Add kasoori methi.
    15. If cooking in a slow cooker or regular pot, add rajma, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fenugreek seeds, and bay leaf to the pot.
  15. Bring to a full boil over high heat. Reduce heat once it starts boiling and let the beans simmer for 50 minutes.
  16. For the onion tomato masala, heat oil in a pan and follow step 10 onwards.
  17. Serve hot with rice or chapati.
https://www.simpleglutenfreekitchen.com/2019/06/rajma-spiced-kidney-beans.html

I am bringing this bowl of rajma to #cookblogshare hosted by Monika @everydayhealthyrecipes.

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Comments

  1. Definitely some good tips here when it comes to preparing this dish and beans in general. Beans and rice is something I never tire of and I am glad you posted this recipe. I am always game to welcoming more spice and flavor into “old” standard dishes and this recipe is just the ticket. It looks delicious as well as comforting.
    Congrats on the award, well deserved!

    Reply

  5. Cojgrats on the blog award Bel. I do make something similar like the curry here though we use more of green peas beans then kidney beans.

    I bet this spicy kidney beans will be fantastic with chapati as thats how we pair the green peas curry.

    Reply

  6. Looks great! I agree, soaking dried beans makes a huge difference. It’s healthier as well, as canned beans tend to have a lot of sodium. Great post.

    Reply

  17. Awesome ways to cook kidney beans, specially with all the spices…sounds and looks super tasty. Thanks for the recipe Balvinder…have a great weekend!

    Reply

  19. Ah these sound and look amazing! I adore kidney beans, so good for you and such a fab texture! I’ll have to give this a go! #CookBlogShare

    Reply

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