Rajma

The spices go in whole rather than ground, and the gravy is thick enough to sit on rice.

Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains dairy (ghee).

Ingredients

• 300 g red kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 3 onions, finely chopped
• 500 g tomatoes, pureed
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 2 bay leaves
• a 5 cm stick of cinnamon
• 4 cloves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground red chilli
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 4 tablespoons ghee
• 2 teaspoons salt

Method

1. THE SPICES GO IN WHOLE RATHER THAN GROUND, AND THE GRAVY IS THICK ENOUGH TO SIT ON RICE. Its article says both in its first sentence: red kidney beans in a THICK gravy with MANY INDIAN WHOLE SPICES, usually served OVER rice. Whole spices in quantity is the character of it -- bay, cassia, cloves, both cardamoms and cumin seed, left in the pot, so that the gravy tastes of things you can see rather than of a powder. And over rice rather than beside it means the gravy has to be thick enough to stay where it is put.
2. THE BEANS ARE SOAKED OVERNIGHT AND BOILED IN FRESH WATER. Eight hours at least. Kidney beans are the one pulse here where an under-soaked, under-boiled result is not just unpleasant: they need a hard boil, so give them ten minutes at a rolling boil before dropping to a simmer.
3. THEY ARE COOKED UNTIL ONE CRUSHES BETWEEN THE FINGERS. An hour to an hour and a half. A firm kidney bean in a finished rajma is the commonest fault.
4. THE COOKING WATER IS KEPT AND USED. Dark and starchy and it is most of the thickening.
5. THE WHOLE SPICES GO INTO THE GHEE BEFORE THE ONIONS. Thirty seconds, until the cumin darkens and the cardamom smells. They stay in for the whole cooking.
6. THE ONIONS GO TO A DEEP BROWN AND THE TOMATO IS COOKED OUT HARD. Twelve minutes, then fifteen, until the ghee pools at the edge of the pan.
7. A LADLEFUL OF BEANS IS CRUSHED BACK IN. Against the side of the pan. That and the cooking water are why there is no cream in it.
8. IT SIMMERS AT LEAST THIRTY MINUTES AFTER THEY MEET. This is another dish that tastes of its own patience.
9. THE GARAM MASALA IS LAST, OFF THE HEAT. The only ground blend in it.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes