49. Kashmiri Rajma | Kidney Beans Curry
A simple comfort food from the North Indian households and dhabas ( small hotels along the highways). A easy, yet popular dish to make for those weekend parties.
Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 2 large, finely chopped or pureed
Onion - 1 large, finely chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, finely chopped
Mustard Oil - 3 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dry ginger powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 Tbsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 Tbsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Butter/ghee - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves, finely chopped - 3 Tbsp
To Pressure Cook:
Rajma (dry red kidney beans)- 1 cup Soaked over-night (12 hours)
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 2
Bayleaf - 2
Ginger - 1 inch (crushed)
Green chili -1 Slit
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Preparation:
I
Drain and rinse the soaked beans
Add the beans and all the other ingredients under "To Pressure Cook" to a pressure cooker. Add 3 cups of water and cook on medium flame till 5-6 whistles
Let the pressure settle naturally
Drain the water from the beans and keep the water aside for later use.
Discard the masalas (Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves, Bay leaf ) and ginger
II
Heat oil in a large pan and add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add garlic and stir, add finely chopped onion and saute them till they start to caramelize
Add tomato and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, or till the oil separates from the curry
Mix the Dry ginger powder, Coriander powder, Kashmiri chilli powder and salt with 1/4th cup of water to make a paste, add this to the gravy and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes (add water if it becomes dry, making sure that the masala does not burn)
Add the rajma and the water (which we retained from the boiled rajma)
Mash some of the rajma to give the gravy a thicker consistency
Stir the gravy occasionally, and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes on low flame
Add garam masala and mix well
Add butter/ghee
Switch off and garnish with chopped coriander leaves
Server with hot rice and ghee or jerra rice or rotis.