Rajma Chawal | Rajma Masala | Kidney beans Curry

       Rajma Chawal | Kidney beans curry (Lock Down Recipe 1)

So As we know,every where in India,lock down is going on and Government is asking us to stay at home for our better society and health,I thought it is the best time to share some of the easy recipes.

As the situation is not good out there ,so going outside is very risky at this point of time. Its better to cook some pulses or some other stored food . Which is healthy and you can also bring smile on the face of your love ones.

Rajma Chawal

I am sharing only home cooked foods here. No artificial add ons are here. Pictures are not that good,

cause I am not a very good photographer :) . I am here sharing only the raw way of making home food and presenting things the way we eat at home. Hope that,you people will  love the way of presenting food.

So coming to the Recipe,Rajma chawal or Kidney beans curry is a popular dish in North India.

Typically cooked with some ginger and garlics,some tomatos, Indian spices and soft boiled beans or rajmas. It is very much healthy and full of nutrition.  It is a complete dish,rajma masala,served with dhowa utha gorom bhat( hot steamed rice I mean :) ). Though I love some raw onion with it. If you are a core non vegetarian by heart,then also I swear you will fall in love with it. You must give it a try. It is a good treat to your self after a hectic working schedule.

Here I am presenting Rajma chawal on my style cooking. So Lets,explore!!

So for preparing the dish,you have to start from the previous day or almost 12 hours earlier.

No,please don't be afraid. you don't have to cook for 12 hours long. A small 5 mints work you have to perform. 

Rajma Preparation: 

1.Soak 1 cup (almost 200 gm) of rajma in enough water for 8 to 9 hours. I prefer whole night.

2.On the next day,drain the soaked water and clean them properly.

3. So on a pressure cooker we will add those cleaned beans,water(for 1 cup rajma,almost 4 to 5 cups of water),1 cinnamon stick,1 bay leaf,  salt and cover the lid and pressure cook them for 5 to 6 whistles or they become soft.

(To check the rajma has cooked or not,kindly take a bite of it.It must be soft.They should hold their shape ,at the same time they are not mushy at all) 

Masala Preparation/onion tomato puree:

4.Now for masala, heat a pan with 2 tbspn of oil(I used mastard oil),add 1tsp of whole cumin and make them sizzle.

5. Add 1 medium sized chopped onion and fry them but not to golden brown . After 1 or 2 mints in medium heat,we are adding 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and saute mix them well. After 1 mnt ,we are adding 2 medium roughly chopped tomatoes and mix them very well. At this stage we are adding salt and cover the lid and cook for 2 to 3 mints on medium heat.

 

6.We can see here,water is coming from the tomatoes and they have became soft. If they didn't become soft then cook with the lid for a mint more and then switch of the flame and let them cool down.

7. After that we blend them into a smooth pure and set aside.

Now coming to the main part: How to make Rajma 

8.Heat a kadhai and add 1/4th cup of oil,heat it and add some chopped onions and chopped garlic and saute then till they become brown. I love the smell of garlic so I added a little more  :). 

9. Now adding 1 tbsp of kasmiri mirch powder in a low flame(for red color in gravy) and added the puree and mix well. Now on a medium heat I am going to add the other powder spices like 2tsp of coriander powder,1/2 tsp of turmeric powder and mix them oil.  At this point add salt (taste before you use) and cover the lid and cook until oil surfaces out and puree becomes thick and reduces to half quantity. Stir in between else you will burn your puree. You can see he orange puree has become red and a beautiful aroma is coming from that. 

My mom always says " Joto masala kosabi,shad toto besi asbe" (much you cook your masala,taste will come more and more )

10.Add the boiled rajma on it and mix well,you can add 2 to 3 green chilies on it as it will increase the flavor. But it depends on your taste buds and if you love chilies then show for it ;) else can skip.

After  a mint add 1 and 1/2 cup of water and cover the lid and cook for 5 to 6 mnts at low flame.you can see the gravy has become thick .If not cook for a little more. 

11. At this moment add chopped dhania patta and 1tsp of garam masla. I added my mom's special home made garam masla with a pinch of roasted cumin power.

Mix it well and server it hot with boiled rice and salad. 

Kidney bean curry

I hope you all like the recipe,If yes then please share this with your friends. It is a very easy and delicious recipe for lock down. Hope you enjoyed it !!