Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.
This recipe for Rajmah Chawal (Kidney Bean Curry) came from my podcast guest, Lopamudra Mishra. Make sure you listen to her The Boisterous Landlady and Her Transformative Rajma Chawal while you make her Rajmah Chawal!
Rajma Chawal is a beloved North Indian comfort food featuring tender red kidney beans simmered in a spiced tomato-onion gravy, served over fluffy steamed rice. Hearty, flavorful, and satisfying, it's a staple in many Indian households and perfect for a wholesome meal any day. This is the perfect dish when the weather starts to turn cold and when you need a comforting, warm meal.
Looking for more cozy soups or stews? Check out this Quick and Easy Columbian Vegan Black Bean Stew or this Easy Chana Masala! Also, try pairing your Rajmah Chawal with this Roti Paratha recipe for a complete and satisfying meal.
Lopamudra's Memories of Making Rajmah Chawal
Very typical of old Indian homes, there was a courtyard and all the cooking took place in the courtyard. We gossiped in the courtyard and oiled each other's hair in the courtyard. Rajma Chawal was like a chicken dinner in Punjabi homes. And in Aunty's kitchen, because she was old, she had a barstool with a pillow on it and she used to sit there and cook. So when I make this dish, Rajma Chawal symbolizes home for me.
-Lopamudra Mishra, guest of The Storied Recipe Podcast
Top Tip
Don't rush when you are cooking the onions. Ten minutes might seem like a long time to cook them, but in order to get the depth of flavor in the dish that you are looking for, each onion should be golden brown.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Rajam
- Dried red kidney beans (see the section below for more information)
- Fresh ginger and cumin
Gravy
- Fats: Ghee and oil (any kind will do)
- Spices: Cumin seeds, garlic-ginger paste, tumeric, chili, coriander, garam masala
- Fresh produce: Tomatoes and red onions
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight, drain the water, then cook in a pressure cooker or crock pot.
- Heat oil/ghee, sauté cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste, and onions until golden.
- Add turmeric, chili, coriander, salt, then tomatoes; cook until soft.
- Stir in garam masala and cook until oil separates and gravy thickens.
- Add boiled rajma with some water, simmer 7-10 min, crushing a few beans for thickness.
Rajmah or Kidney Bean Selection and Preparation
Any type of kidney bean will work whether that is dried or in a can. Below are three different bean methods to choose from.
Dried red kidney beans
- Lopamudra recommends soaking the beans overnight, and there are several benefits to this:
- Cooks the beans faster
- Makes them easier to digest (reduces gas and bloating)
- Increases nutrient absorption by reducing phytates and polyphenols
Punjabi beans
- In the Punjab region, the beans used are typically medium to long.
- Some areas in Punjab use Jammu Rajma, which are smaller beans that cook much faster.
Canned beans
- This is a more untraditional method, but you can (no pun intended) if you are short on time.
- Simply drain and rinse the canned kidney beans and skip all of the steps that are about preparing the dried beans in the instructions section.
What to Serve with Rajmah Chawal
- Rice (Lopamudra says this is an essential and Rajmah Chawal is always served with rice)
- Picked onions
- Fresh green chilis
- Ghee, drizzled on top
- A simple raw salad: Cucumber and radish with lemon, salt, and peper
- Sautéed spinach with garlic and salt (if you want to add some heat you can add in some red pepper flakes)
A Mix of Cultures
Lopamudra explains that this dish, though it is Indian, has borrowed elements from South American cooking. The spices used are typical of Indian spiced (aka the "trinity" discussed below), but the green chilis and the beans that are used in the dish were borrowed from typical South American dishes.
This is quite a hearty/heavy dish, so this dish is not very popular in the South or on the coasts of India due to the warmer climate, but as the dish made its way up North to cooler climates, Lopamudra explained that it gained more popularity and became a staple recipe.
Indian Spice "Trinity"
Lopamudra says that the trio of ginger, garlic, and turmeric is often considered a spice "trinity," in Indian cuisines which form the foundation of countless dishes. Ginger brings a warm, zesty brightness, garlic adds savory depth and aroma, and turmeric lends its earthy flavor and vibrant golden color. Together, they not only build rich layers of taste but also carry centuries of tradition and health benefits, making them essential in everyday Indian kitchens. This trio can vary depending on which region of India you are in, but this is Lopamudra's version that she was raised with.
Equipment
- Pressure cooker OR crock pot
- Large pan OR wok
Storage
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.
- Can freeze for up to 3 months in freezer bags.
More South Asian Recipes
More Soups and Stews
Listen to Lopamudra's Episode
PrintRecipe
Rajmah Chawal (Kidney Bean Curry)
Description
A hearty stew that is packed with kidney bean in a spiced gravy over a bowl of rice that is sure to warm you up in the cooler months.
Ingredients
Rajma
- 1 cup (about 200 gm) rajma or red kidney beans (dried)
- 2.5 to 3 cups water (to boil the rajma)
- 1 thumb width of fresh ginger
- Pinch of cumin powder
Masala Gravy
- 1 tbsp ghee + 2 or 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (1-inch ginger and 5-6 cloves pounded or grated)
- 1 large or 2 medium sized red onions, chopped fine/grated
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder *See Note 1
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped fine/grated/pureed
- ½ tsp Punjabi (or any other North Indian style) garam masala
- 2 tsp salt or to taste
To Serve
- Coriander leaves and stems freshly chopped
Instructions
Cue Up The Episode!
Make sure you listen to Lopamudra's episode of The Storied Recipe Podcast, "The Boisterous Landlady and Her Transformative Rajma Chawal" while you make her amazing Rajma Chawal.
Make The Recipe
Prepare and Cook the Beans
- Soak rajma in water overnight or for at least 4-6 hours.
- Once soaked, wash the rajma and drain the water.
- Boil the rajma in a pressure cooker with a pinch of salt for 20 minutes. This will be about 4-5 whistles depending on your pressure cooker. After the first whistle on a medium high flame, turn the heat to low-medium and cook the rajma for 20 minutes.
- OR if using an instant pot, cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
- OR if boiling on the stove, cover with 1 inch of water, add a little salt, cumin, and a bit of julienned ginger and boil until tender to the touch but meets some resistance when pinched.
- When the rajma is done, you can literally smell it from the cooker/pot. That's when you know it's ready.
- Take the pressure cooker off heat but don't open it yet. Let the steam escape on its own. Same applies to instant pot.
Make the Gravy
- While the rajma is getting boiled, start making the gravy.
- Heat oil/ghee in a wok or large skillet which is deep enough, and then add cumin seeds.
- Once the seeds sizzle, add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for 10 seconds.
- Then, add the onions and continue sautéing for the next 12-15 minutes on medium heat. The onions will start turning golden brown now with some oil oozing on the side.
- Add the turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and some salt in that order, and mix everything. Keep sautéing patiently. The onions should all be golden brown. To ensure no burning, keep splashing water if needed and de-glaze the wok/skillet and scrape any spices sticking to the bottom.
- Add the tomatoes now and stir to combine. Now let the tomatoes cook on medium heat. As soon as you add tomatoes, the skillet will automatically get de-glazed.
- Once the tomatoes start wilting, add garam masala, mix and then cover and cook on low to medium heat to ensure that the tomatoes are fully done.
- Uncover the pot and check if the masala is done. Oil should be releasing on the sides and you should have a thick consistency of the gravy.
Assemble
- Open the pressure cooker/instant pot.
- Add the boiled rajma along with the water to the gravy in the wok/skillet Stir and adjust the salt if required.
- Bring everything to a boil and then leave it to simmer on low heat for 7-10 minutes. Using the back of a ladle, crush some of the rajma (only some) to give a homelike thick consistency to the gravy.
- Turn off heat, add the chopped coriander leaves with stems and let the rajma sit in the pot/pan covered for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Serve
- Don't forget to get the rice ready on the side. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Note 1: If your red chilli powder isn't spicy, chop a green chilli and pound with ginger garlic
Anonymous says
A recipe after my own heart! It's perfect for batch cooking as well as get-togethers!