Indian
Rajma Chawal
Slow-simmered kidney beans thicken into a glossy tomato-onion masala and are served over basmati rice.
6 servings · 30 minutes prep · 140 minutes cook
Ingredients
Main
- 1 1/2 cups dried red kidney beans
- 8 cups water, plus more as needed
- 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 black cardamom pod
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 large red onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 green chiles, slit
- 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chile powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp crushed kasuri methi
- 5 cups cooked basmati rice
Directions
Method
- Rinse the dried red kidney beans and soak in plenty of the water for 12 hours. Drain.
- Pressure cook the beans with the remaining water and half of the kosher salt until fully tender and creamy inside, 25-30 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally. Keep the beans in their cooking liquid.
- Heat the ghee in a large skillet. Add the bay leaf, black cardamom pod, and cumin seeds and cook until the whole spices deepen slightly in color and smell distinctly toasted, stopping before they scorch, 30 seconds.
- Add the red onion and cook until deep golden, 12-15 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chiles and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, ground coriander, Kashmiri chile powder, turmeric, garam masala, and remaining kosher salt. Cook until thick and the fat separates, 12-15 minutes.
- Add the masala to the beans. Simmer uncovered, mashing some beans against the side of the pot, until thick and glossy, 25-30 minutes.
- Stir in the kasuri methi, rest for 10 minutes, and serve over the cooked basmati rice.
