• 200gm rajma beans (long variety) 3 medium sized tomatoes (boiled & pureed) 2 onions chopped finely 1 green chilly chopped finely ½ inch ginger chopped finely 6 cloves garlic chopped finely 2 teaspoon Punjabi garam masala 1 tablespoon tomato sauce (optional) ½ teaspoon dry red chilly powder 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon white butter / makhan/ loni (optional) 3 teaspoons oil Salt to taste 1 tablespoon coriander/ cilantro leaves

Just as Chole Chawal is a very special meal families love to have on weekends in the North Indian regions, another very popular dish is the Punjabi Rajma Masala which can be had either with Chawal/ rice (Rajma Chawal) or with Batura (large type of puri) or with various types of breads like nan, paratha, roti, kulcha.

This quick Rajma beans recipe will be a sure hit with everyone. Once you have the soaked rajma ready the preparation is very easy & quick. The leftover can be used as a filling in paratha rolls alongwith cheese for a Mexican touch (Anchilladas). You will notice that very little oil is used in this recipe. The health conscious can even reduce the oil further to a few drops & yet get the same delicious flavour.

 

METHOD:

  1. Soak rajma beans overnight
  2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pressure cooker, add a bayleaf, add the chopped garlic, ginger, green chillies and fry till the garlic is golden. Add onions and fry till pinkish.
  3. Now add the rajma alongwith the soaked water & cook it upto 2 whistles in the pressure cooker. You can test whether the beans are cooked by checking if some of the beans have split slightly. This give a nice starchy thickness to the gravy.
  4. Add Punjabi garam masala, salt, sugar & cook it for 5 minutes.
  5. In a tempering pan add 2 teaspoon oil & heat it. Add dry red chilli powder & immediately switch off the heat/flame to avoid burning of the chilli powder. Now the chilli oil is ready.
  6. Pour the chilli oil over the rajma.
  7. Add tomato sauce for further tanginess.
  8. Also add a dollop of white butter/ makhan/ loni for further enhancing the flavour.
  9. Garnish with coriander/ cilantro leaves.

Rajma Masala