Kidney Beans Recipe

5 from 20 votes

Loved by all Kidney Beans Recipe AKA Rajma Recipe made with an Onion Tomato gravy in spices and herbs made in one pot from scratch.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Indian

Servings: people

Calories: 243kcal

Author: Neha

Equipment

1 Pressure Cooker/ Slow Cooker/ Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 Cups Raw and Dry Kidney Beans (Rajma) (or 4 15 oz cans of canned beans)
3 Tablespoons Oil
⅛ teaspoon Asafetida
2-3 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon Cumin Seeds
1 large Onion (2 Cups, chopped)
4 inch Fresh Ginger Root
8 large cloves of Garlic
2 large Tomatoes, pureed (or 1 14.5 oz can of canned tomatoes, pureed, chunks or diced all are fine)
1 and ½ teaspoons Garam Masala
1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
Salt (to taste)
2 Cups Water (Plus more to cover the beans in the pressure cooker)
1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds Powder
1 teaspoon Fenugreek Leaves Powder (Kasuri Methi)
¼ Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves (chopped)
few Lemon Wedges

If you add Rajma Masala to the curry, skip all other spices

4 Tablespoons Kidney Beans/Rajma Masala* (Skip all other spices, just add ½ teaspoon chili powder and ¼ teaspoon garam masala and salt along with rajma masala)

Instructions

Pre Prepping Kidney Beans

Soaking: Rinse and soak 2 cups of dry kidney beans in 7-8 cups of water overnight or for 8-10 hours.
Canned Beans: If using canned beans, remove/drain all the liquid from the beans. No need to rinse them.
Heat oil in a pot/pressure cooker. Add asafetida, bay leaves and cumin seeds. Allow cumin seeds to crackle. I like to make the curry in pressure cooker itself and then boil the beans in this curry. If you wish, you can boil the beans separately with some salt. Pour beans in the curry and simmer till the curry comes together.
Once the cumin seeds crackle, stir in the chopped garlic. Cook the garlic till its raw smell goes away. Next stir in chopped onions. Allow them to cook for a minute or two. Then add grated ginger to it. Add salt at this point. It allows onions to soften and cook quickly. Cook uncovered, stirring from time to time to avoid onions from sticking to the pressure cooker and burning.
When the onions turn golden brown, add in tomato puree/canned tomatoes. Cook tomatoes till the onion-tomato curry gets thick and tomatoes are cooked through. About 5-6 minutes over medium heat, covered. Stir s needed.
Now add in the following spices- turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala. Stir them all in. Alternatively, if adding rajma masala, just add ½ teaspoon chili powder and ¼ teaspoon garam masala along with it.
Now rinse the water from soaked beans and add the beans to pressure cooker. Fill the cooker with water to cover beans completely and then add 2 extra cups of water. Give it all a quick stir.
Close the lid and pressure cook beans in pressure cooker over stove top for about 4 to 5 whistles or till the beans get soft.
Keep pressure cooker on high heat for the first two whistles, then set the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes.
Total time would be around 35-40 minutes approximately.
Turn the flame off after this point and allow the pressure to release naturally. Check for doneness and seasoning at this point. If you find the gravy to be too thin, mash some beans, using the back of a spoon or ladle. Or you can make use of a potato masher.
Add fennel seeds powder and crushed kasuri methi. Give the curry a quick mix!
Serve with lots of chopped cilantro leaves and a good squeeze of lemon. Enjoy with a side of warm rice!

Notes

Storing and Freezing Instructions: Leftovers can be stored in refrigerator easily for 2-3 days, covered. You can also freeze this curry for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on counter top for a few hours before re-heating.

Soaking the Beans: Soak the beans overnight. It will help to cook the beans faster and aid in better digestion too.

Avoid Canned Beans and Canned Tomatoes: I find fresh tomatoes and beans have a better flavor than their canned counterparts. Reach out for fresh produce and beans if possible.

Kidney Beans/Rajma Masala: If you have rajma masala on hand, skip all these spices and add around 3-4 Tablespoons of that to the curry. Add ½ teaspoon of chili powder and ¼ teaspoon of garam masala to the curry too. I love and use MDH Brand Rajma masala to make this curry.

To make curry with Canned Beans:

Make onion tomato gravy as mentioned in the recipe. Drain the liquid out of canned beans. You don't need to wash the beans after it. This remaining liquid stuck on the beans will add creaminess to your curry.

Add these beans to the gravy and add 3 cups of water to begin with. Add more only if/as needed.

You don't need to pressure cook canned beans. Just simmer them in curry for around 10-15 minutes over medium heat, covered. Stir in between. Top with cilantro leaves and lemon juice. Serve as desired.

Nutrition