Friday, October 24, 2008

Rajma (Red Kidney Bean Curry)

This dish is extremely popular not just in North India but elsewhere as well. Serve Rajma with plain boiled rice, Kachumbar salad and your favorite pickle.

2 cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed under running water
2 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium-sized onions chopped fine
2"piece of ginger jullinned
6 cloves of garlic minced
2 large tomatoes chopped into 1" cubes
2 fresh green chillies chopped fine
2 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
A pinch of asafetida
Chopped coriander to garnish

Heat the oil in a deep pan and add the cumin seeds. When they stop sizzling, add the onion and fry till soft. Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the green chillies, tomatoes, coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam marsala powders and fry till the oil separates from the masala.
Add the red kidney beans, 4 cups of warm water, asafetida, salt to taste and cook till beans are very soft (aproximately 10 minutes). Mash some of the beans roughly (this thickens the gravy).
Garnish with corainder and serve piping hot with plain boiled rice and Kachumber salad and a pickle of your choice.