Rajma curry, one of India's most popular and flavorful dishes, is prepared with rich, aromatic, spiced onion and tomato-based gravy. This comforting, protein-packed dish pairs perfectly with rice, roti, or paratha, making it a versatile and wholesome choice for any meal.
Love Indian flavors? You’ll adore this hearty Kali daal too!
About rajma
Rajma, or kidney beans, are a type of legume named for their distinctive kidney-like shape. They come in various colors, including red, white, and black. In Hindi, red kidney beans are known as Rajma.
These dried red beans are prepared in a spicy, flavorful curry base of onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. This curried kidney beans recipe is prepared in a pressure cooker, as it cooks kidney beans faster and more efficiently.
Ingredients
To make Rajma curry masala, you need the following items:
- Rajma - I use red dried kidney beans.
- Curry base - Onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes to make curried rajma. You can also make this curry masala in advance with this easy-peasy masala paste recipe.
- Spices - Rajma masala, salt, turmeric, chili, garam masala, bay leaf, cloves, black cardamom, and cinnamon. While rajma masala is not essential, using it significantly enhances the flavor of the dish
- Coriander - Optional -for garnishing.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make Rajma curry?
You can find this easy Indian Rajma masala recipe video below, but here is a step-by-step guide to making dried red kidney beans in a pressure cooker:
Step-1 Soak Rajma
The foremost step to making an authentic Rajma recipe is to soak red beans in water. Rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. Place them in a large bowl and fill with plenty of water. Allow them to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Step-2 Cook Kidney beans
Drain and rinse them with water before cooking. Add whole peeled onions, garlic, spices, and water with rajma into a pressure cooker. Cook it for 10-15 minutes (low-medium heat) or 3-4 whistles.
I prefer cooking onions and garlic with rajma to infuse aromatic flavors, which are essential for the Punjabi curry base.
Step-3 Curry preparation
To check if the rajma beans are cooked, try cutting them with a spoon. Cooked rajma can be easily cut or pressed with a spoon. If the beans are still hard, continue cooking them. Once the rajma is fully cooked, remove the onions and garlic from the cooker and set them aside.
Heat oil in a wok and add cumin seeds until they become aromatic. Stir in the onions and garlic and fry for 5 minutes. Next, add grated ginger, salt, turmeric, chilli, garam masala, and Rajma masala, and continue frying for a few more minutes.
Add the tomato puree and cook for a few more minutes until the curry base (masala) thickens and comes together. Then, mix in the Rajma with the water from the cooker. Allow it to simmer and boil for a few minutes.
Optional- Add two teaspoons of ghee while simmering. It gives a deep, buttery aroma with a slightly nutty taste.
Garnish curried beans with chopped coriander for a refreshing herby flavor!
Serving Suggestions
- This red bean curry is often enjoyed with white cumin rice, a combination famously known as rajma chawal, a North Indian special!
- Roti, flaky parathas, or plain parathas also complement well with rajma masala.
- Chutneys such as green coriander mint chutney, coriander chutney, chili chutney, and onion-tomato chutney pair beautifully with these curried red beans.
- With rajma and rice, crunchy raita boondi, mixed vegetable raita, or refreshing cucumber raita are usually served to balance the dish’s rich, spicy, and tangy flavors with their cool and creamy texture.
- Crispy papad/papadums and tangy pickles such as mango, lemon, and cauliflower pickle add texture and zest.
FAQs
Rajma should be soaked for at least 8 hours or overnight to soften the beans and reduce cooking time.
If you want a quicker method, use a pressure cooker/instant pot to cook rajma beans. T
For unsoaked beans- Cook them on medium heat for 50-60 minutes in a pressure cooker.
For Soaked beans - Cook them on medium heat for 10–15 minutes using a pressure cooker.
I use 4 cups of water per 1 cup of red beans for pressure cooking.
Place beans in a pot with water (about 3–4 cups per 1 cup of beans).
Bring to a boil for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let them sit for 1 hour. Drain and rinse before cooking.
Tips
- Cook rajma in a pressure cooker; it cooks faster and ensures soft and creamy beans.
- Always soak kidney beans overnight for better texture and faster cooking.
- Add warm water if the curry is thickened.
- Don't skip spices. These are the main elements of rajma that enhance their flavor and aroma.
More Indian Flavors
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🧾Recipe
Rajma Curry
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Equipment
- Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rajma/ red kidney beans
- 3 Onions
- 8-10 Garlic cloves
- 3 Tomatoes
- 2 inch Ginger
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Cinnamom stick
- 1-2 Black cardamoms
- 2-3 Cloves
- 2 tablespoon Rajma masala (Optional)
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Chilli
- 1 tablespoon Garam masala
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 2 teaspoon Ghee (Optional)
- 4 cups Water
Instructions
- Soak red beans in water overnight.
- In a pressure cooker, add peeled whole onions, garlic, rajma, water, and spices.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the cooker blows 3 whistles on medium heat.
- Once the rajma is cooked, remove the onions and garlic from the cooker.
- Heat oil or ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Stir in the onions and garlic that were cooked with the rajma. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add grated ginger, salt, chili, turmeric, garam masala, and rajma masala. Fry the masala on low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the tomato puree and cook until the oil separates from the mixture.
- Mix in the cooked kidney beans and water. Let the curry simmer for 10 minutes
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or roti!
Video
Notes
- Soak kidney beans overnight for better texture and reduced cooking time.
- If the curry thickens, add warm water to adjust consistency.
- Spices are essential, don’t skip them, as they enhance the flavor and aroma of the dish.
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Nutrition
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