Rajma Masala / Indian red Kidney Beans Curry

 If there is one thing that I have learned over these years is how to make the vegetarian food tasty. Being a non-vegetarian I struggled to make simple no-fuss vegetarian foods, which are so simple that ruining their taste was as easy as breaking a glass. One mistake and the whole taste was ruined. But thankfully that is not the case anymore. With a little bit of help from around, my rajma masala taste almost identical with the restaurant, without the pool of oil of course, and it tastes even better with some ghee on top. In my vegetarian recipes, I am no miser of ghee. I use them plenty and in good quantity and I can assure you they just turn out wonderful every time. 

Rajma Masala / Indian Red Kidney Beans Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup dry red kidney beans

2 red onions - thinly sliced

3 tomatoes - finely chopped

6 garlic cloves

2 inch root of ginger

4 green cardamoms

1 small stick of cinnamon

4-5 cloves

1 black cardamom

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp whole coriander seeds

2 tsp kauri methi / dry fenugreek leaves

A handful of fresh coriander leaves - finely chopped

Salt 

1/2 tsp sugar

1 bay leaf

2 dry red chillies

1/4 tsp dry hing / asafoetida 

1/4 cup ghee (or oil of your choice)

Method:

• Soak the kidney beans overnight in water.When they are ready cook them in pressure cooker on medium flame until the cooker blows 4 whistles. Then switch off the flame and leave the cooker aside so that the pressure can release naturally. 
• In a mortar and pestle take the ginger, garlic, 1 tsp cumin seeds, coriander seeds, green cardamom, cinnamon stick, cloves and 1 dry red chilli and pound them into a paste. It does not need to be very fine, a little coarse paste is okay.
• In a soup pot heat the oil and add the 1 tsp cumin seeds, black cardamom, bay leaf and 1 dry red chilli.
• Add the sliced onions to them.Sprinkle the salt and sugar to them and continue frying, stirring every now and then until they become golden brown.
• Add ginger-garlic and spice paste to it and cook for a minute or until the raw garlic flavour is gone.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes breaks down nicely into pulp.Add the turmeric powder and red chilli powder.Mix and cook for another minute.
• Add the cooked rajma / kidney beans with their water and stir to mix evenly.Put the flame on low and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add more water if necessary.After 20 minutes check and adjust the seasonings.
• Add hing, kauri methi and chopped coriander leaves.Give it a stir and switch off the flame.Serve hot with an extra drizzle of ghee with rice or chapati.