RAJMA CHAWAL

Delicious and flavourful curry made with red kidney beans. Rajma Chawal is by far one of the most comforting foods specially in Punjab and a staple in entire North India. Can be served with chapati, roti, phulka's but tastes divine with rice.

Ingredients:

· Rajma (Kidney Beans) – 1 cup

· Oil - 3-4 tbsp

· Onion – 2 big (sliced)

· Oil - 2 tbsp

· Bay leaf – 1-2

· Cinnamon sticks – 1 inch

· Black cardamom - 1

· Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

· Ginger Garlic paste – 1.5 tbsp

· Chili paste – ¾ tbsp

· Turmeric - ¼ tsp

· Tomato puree – 1 cup (3 medium tomatoes)

· Salt

· Red Chilli Powder (Kashmiri)- 1 ¼ tbsp

· Coriander powder – 1.5 tsp

· Cumin powder – 1 tsp

· Garam masala – ½ tsp

· Kasuri Methi – ¾ tsp

· Fresh Coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Method:

· Take a bowl and add rajma in it & soak it overnight or for 4-5 hours.

· In a pressure cooker add water in it and then add soaked rajma with little salt.

· Let it cook on medium flame and let it whistle 3-4 times. Allow it to cool down.

· Press the rajma with your fingers to check whether the rajma is cooked properly.

· To make brown onions for brown onion paste, add oil into a kadai & once the oil gets hot add the onions & fry them over medium flame until they turn golden brown while stirring at regular intervals.

· Once the onions turn golden brown, transfer them into a sieve & the excess oil will drain out.

· Now add the fried onions into a mixer grinder jar & add very little water, grind the onions into a fine paste & your brown onion paste is ready.

· Take a large kadai and add oil in it, add the whole spices, sauté well.

· Now add the ginger garlic chilli paste, stir & cook over medium flame, then add turmeric powder, stir & cook for few seconds.

· Now add the tomato puree along with salt & all the powdered spices, stir the spices into the puree & add the brown onion paste, stir well & cook the masala well for 8-10 minutes until the oil gets separated.

· If the masala gets dry, add hot water as required & continue to cook it further.

· Once the oil gets separated, add the cooked kidney beans along with the water & mix well with the masala & bring it to a boil.

· Once the rajma comes to a boil, cover it & cook over medium low flame for 12-15 minutes.

· Now to make the gravy even creamier mash few rajma using a ladle gently & continue to cook it for 1-2 minutes.

· Adjust salt if required and add little garam masala and kasuri methi, give a good mix.

· Finally add some fresh coriander leaves and serve with hot rice.