Pahadi Rajma

Pahadi Rajma.. a simple, mouth watering & authentic recipe of Rajma from the region of Nainital. This recipe is a secret recipe given to me by a friend hailing from Nainital. Its a recipe her family and forefathers have been following for ages.. so yes its an original recipe and hence the name.
Compared to all other recipes for our Rajma Chawal, this is much easier and can be eaten more often.
I love red kidney beans.. so Rajma is one of my favourite pulses to go with rice.
As against the traditional Punjabi recipe of Rajma this one has much fewer ingredients and yet maintaining the  delicious taste.. thus making it convenient to replicate.

Serves 3. Preparation Time: 10 mins. Cooking Time: 20 -30 mins

Ingredients:

1 cup long or big Red Kidney Beans (Rajma), soaked overnight (12 hrs or more) in hot water
1 small onion (½ cup), thinly sliced
2 medium onions (1 cup), finely chopped
1½ tbsp garlic, crushed (6-7 cloves)
2 medium tomatoes (1½ cup), finely chopped
2-3 tbsp clarified butter/ ghee
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder/ haldi
1 tbsp coriander-cumin seed powder/ dhania jeera
Salt as per taste

For Garnish

Coriander finely chopped

Method:

1. Drain out the soaking water from the rajma and transfer to a pressure cooking safe vessel. Thinly slice 1 small onion and add it to the rajma. Also add some salt to it. Pressure cook the rajma until tender. (About 10-15 whistles depending upon your cooker.) You may also add 1 tsp soda bi carb to fasten the pressure cooking. Since it kills a lot of nutrients, I skipped it.

  

2. While the beans are being pressure cooked, chop the onions, tomatoes and crush garlic.

 

3. In a deep pan, heat ghee. Add the chopped onions and crushed garlic and sauté until tender. Add a pinch of salt and cook until they look pale brown. This will take about 2-3 mins. 

4. Now add the chopped tomatoes and some more salt and mix well. Add the haldi, red chilli & dhania jeera powders and mix well. Let this mixture cook until the tomatoes are soft and the ghee starts separating. This will take about 5 -7 mins. 

 

5. The rajmas should be cooked by now. Take about 2-3 tbsp or 1/3 cup cooked rajma and mash it nicely. Like a coarse purée. 

6. The tomatoes and onion mixture should start oozing the ghee by now. Add the mashed rajma to it and mix well. Cook for another 2 mins. 

 

                                      

7. Now mix in the balance rajma along with the boiled liquid. *Do not discard the liquid* 

Mix it well and add more water if required. Check for salt and season accordingly. Cover & let it all simmer for 15 minutes at least stirring at regular intervals.

My camera lens got fogged due to the heat but nonetheless it should look something like this.

8. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice or chapati or paratha or just like that! Enjoy..!!

Notes & Tips:

1. Jains can skip onions and garlic. Instead, after heating ghee, add 1 heaped tsp of asafoetida/ hing and 1 bay leaf/ tej patta. Add ginger and proceed. Please note, while pressure cooking rajma, instead of onions, add ginger and bay leaf. Proceed as per step 4 onwards. 

2. This is Pahadi recipe, alternatively, to make it more Punjabi style you can add whole garam masalas (bay leaf, cloves, cinamon) and jeera. Add garam masala and or rajma masala with other spices. To make it richer you may also add some cream. Though with all these changes it will taste a lot spicier and not Pahadi.

3. You may also use the small red kidney beans. They take lesser time to pressure cook. This makes no difference to the taste.

4. Rajma usually tastes better the next day!