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Rajma

South Asian · 45 min · Medium · 4 servings

Rajma

The North Indian kidney bean curry that's built for batch cooking — onions taken deep golden, tomatoes cooked until the oil separates, and a few beans mashed against the pan for a thick, creamy gravy without a drop of cream.

~220 cal per serving — Calories are approximate, per serving — a guide only.

gluten-freenut-freesoy-freehigh-protein
Plan it:

Method

  1. 1

    Brown the onion

    9 min

    Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring now and then, until deep golden — not just softened. This is where the depth of the curry comes from, so don't rush it.

  2. 2

    Aromatics and ground spices

    1 min

    Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute until the raw smell goes, then stir in the cumin, coriander, turmeric and chili powder and toast them for a few seconds.

  3. 3

    Cook out the tomatoes

    8 min

    Add the pureed tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the masala is thick and the oil starts to separate at the edges of the pan.

  4. 4

    Simmer the beans

    22 min 30 sec

    Add the kidney beans with enough water to just cover. Bring to a simmer and cook, mashing some of the beans against the side of the pan as you go, until the gravy is thick and creamy.

  5. 5

    Finish

    Stir in the garam masala and season with salt. Taste and adjust, then finish with the fresh cilantro.

Notes

Mashing a few beans is the trick to a thick, creamy gravy without any cream. Traditionally served over rice as rajma chawal. Freezes well.

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