Rajma Masala (Kidney Beans Vegetable)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup red rajma or kidney beans,
1/2 cup udid dal without skin,
2 onions ground to fine paste,
2 tomatoes – pureed,
3/4 tsp red chilli powder,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp garam masala powder,
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste,
Salt to taste,
Oil for frying,
Water
Whole Garam Masala:
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2 bay leaves (tej patta),
2 cloves (laung),
7-8 black peppercorns,
2-3 sticks dalchini ( 1 inch long),
2 cardamoms (badi ilaichi) split open,
Chopped coriander and onion rings for garnishing
Method:
Soak the rajma overnight in around 3 cups of water. While preparing, wash the udid dal and boil along with rajma with 5-6 cups water and a pinch of salt. In a kadhai or deep pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add the whole garam masala and fry for a minute. Then add onion paste and saute till it turns golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Then put turmeric powder, red chilli powder and fry for some time. Add tomato puree to the fried onion paste and cook till tomatoes change color from bright red to deep red. Take out 1/4th of cooked rajma in a bowl and mash it. Put this in the gravy. Now the remaining cooked rajma and mix well. Add some water to make a gravy and add salt, let it be on a high flame till the gravy boils. When it boils reduce the flame, add garam masala powder. Garnish with coriander and onion rings.
Tips:
If you forget to soak rajma the previous night, you can soak it in the morning for atleast 2-3 hours and then while boiling add a pinch of baking soda. This will help the rajma cook faster. But restrict the quantity of baking soda to a pinch only.
