A Northern Indian favorite, this version of rajma masala is made with no onions and no garlic – making it a Jain vegetarian and Buddhist friendly option.
A while ago, the best thing happened to me. I met @TheSmoothieCorner who agreed to be my guide to unlock the secrets of Indian food. Up until this point, I didn’t have anyone on the inside! But now, thanks to her, I’ve got access to the secrets! Mark this as the beginning of many Indian recipes to come. I am very excited.
So we began creating this recipe via email. Before giving me the gist of how she makes this recipe, she gave me some background on what this recipe is and why it’s special. From there we got some more specific instructions down and started testing it. Here is the result!
This recipe hails from the Punjabi region of Northern India. For the uninitiated, it is a red kidney bean curry that is commonly served with rice. Like many bean-and-rice dishes across almost every culture, it is often considered ultimate comfort food!
Everyone has their own version of this dish. This particular one is made without onions and with only optional garlic. Why is this significant? Many Indians- such as Jain vegetarians and some Buddhists- don’t eat garlic, onions or other alliums. Jain vegetarians make a point to not eat alliums or potatoes for fear of hurting small creatures in the ground as they are harvested. Some of the more devout Buddhists also believe that these foods increase bad feelings.
Instead of onions, this recipe uses cashew paste to create perfect creaminess. This is done by soaking cashews and then blending them with a little water to create a smooth sauce. If you’re allergic, the cashews can be omitted and this will still be pretty good! But I definitely suggest going with the cashews if you can.
This recipe begins by using a pressure cooker to first cook the beans. You can always use your Instant Pot on the “beans” setting if that’s what you have. And of course they can be cooked the old fashioned way on the stove- just allow yourself a few hours to make sure they get soft.
The green chili that this recipe uses is a bird’s eye or Thai chili. I often use these in Thai recipes such as Thai Curry. These should be available in any Asian market and in some well-stocked major groceries. You can find more information about these chilis here. In some Indian recipes, you will see these referred to as just green chilis or Indian green chilis. They are the same thing.
Looking for other bean recipes? Check out my Trading Post Beans, Frijoles Negros and Black Bean Patties (LINK) recipes!
Punjabi Rajma Masala
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried red kidney beans (about 1.5 cups after cooking)
For cashew paste:
- 1/4 cup roasted cashews
- 2 tbsp water (plus more for soaking)
For masala:
- 1 tomato (about 1/3 lb)
- 1 bird's eye (Thai) green chile
- 1 garlic clove (optional!)
- a few cranks of pepper
To assemble rajma:
- 2 tbsp neutral frying oil, such as vegetable or canola
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 1/2 tsp whole cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp lime juice + lime wedges for serving
- salt and pepper, to taste
- cooked white rice, for serving
Instructions
Prep:
- 8-12 hours before you plan to cook, soak kidney beans in water.
- 2 hours before cooking, place cashews in a separate bowl and cover with an inch or so of water.
Cook the kidney beans:
- If you have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, cook your soaked beans at pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. If you are cooking beans on the stovetop, allow 2-3 hours for them to soften completely.
Create the masala:
- Roughly chop the tomato. Place in blender along with bird's eye green chile, garlic clove (if using) and pepper. Puree until smooth. Pour into a separate bowl and set aside.
Create the cashew paste:
- Rinse your blender. Drain water from cashews and place them in the blender. Add 2 tbsp water, and puree until smooth. Scrape the sides if necessary.
Assemble rajma:
- Heat neutral oil in a medium frying pan. Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves. Sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove and discard the solids, preserving the oil. Add masala mixture to pan. Cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes.
- Add cooked kidney beans, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, garam masala and bay leaf. Stir to combine and then add 1 cup of water.
- Cook, partially covered, until soft and the liquid has reduced - about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice and cashew paste. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve with white rice, lime wedges and (optional!) flatbread.
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