Rajma masala recipe with step by step pictures - Your search for perfect recipe ends here. Let's see the secret for a scrumptious home style Rajma masala.
Rajma masala is an Indian curry with spices in which red kidney beans are slow cooked for a delicious gravy.
Goes well with all Indian flatbreads and cooked rice (Rajma chawal).
Ingredients
Rajma - Red kidney beans
For delicious rajma masala, rajma must be cooked soft and for long time in the gravy to absorb the taste.
There are different types of Rajma available at the groceries. How to choose the right one?
Red kidney bean - Choose Rajma that is reddish in colour not deep red that looks almost black. Because the black one never gets soft cooked how much ever time you cook!
Other than this, there is light coloured rajma with speckles (lines) and dark coloured rajma, similar with speckles. These gets cooked well too.
There is also white rajma called Cannellini beans that I have posted sundal with.
For the curry base, it is onion and tomato cooked along with green chilli and red chilli powder for spice and garam masala, whole spices, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder & fresh leaves for flavors.
Instructions
1. Wash and soak Rajma firstly for 10-12 hours (overnight) and drain the water.
After that, pressure cook for 4-5 whistles, with salt and enough water to immerse the rajma completely.
Once done, set aside with the water.
2. Meanwhile, chop onions and tomatoes finely.
Then, in a kadai/ pan, heat oil and temper with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and Indian bay leaf.
After that, add the chopped onion. Fry till golden and soft, so that as it blended in the gravy as you simmer later.
3. Add ginger garlic paste and give it a fry for a minute.
Then add chopped tomatoes, slit green chillies. Mix well.
4. Following that, add salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and dhaniya powder.
Add kasoori methi crushed in between your hands.
Continue by cooking in medium flame for 5-7 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
5. Finally, add the rajama and the reserved water and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Adjust water if needed.
6. And lastly add cream (optional) and mix well. Simmer for couple of minutes and switch off flame.
Garnish with lots of coriander leaves (I did not add).
Though it goes well with steamed basmati rice or roti, my choice is to have it with rice the best😀.
Recipe card
Rajma masala recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rajma red kidney beans
- 2 Onion
- 3 Tomato
- 2 Green chilli
- 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder
- 2 teaspoon Coriander seeds powder Dhaniya powder
- 3 tablespoon Cooking cream You can skip if you don't want
- Salt
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ½ inch Cinnamon
- 1 Cardamom
- 1 Clove
- 1 Indian bay leaf
Instructions
- Wash and soak Rajma firstly for 10-12 hours (overnight) and drain the water.
- After that, pressure cook for 4-5 whistles, with salt and enough water to immerse the rajma completely.
- Once done, set aside with the water.
- Meanwhile, chop onions and tomatoes finely.
- Then, in a kadai/ pan, heat oil and temper with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and Indian bay leaf.
- After that, add the chopped onion. Fry till golden.
- Add ginger garlic paste and give it a fry for a minute.
- Then add chopped tomatoes, slit green chillies. Mix well.
- Following that, add salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and dhaniya powder.
- Add kasoori methi crushed in between your hands.
- Continue by cooking in medium flame for 5-7 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
- Finally, add the rajama and the reserved water and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Adjust water if needed.
- And lastly add cream and mix well. Simmer for couple of minutes and switch off flame.
- Garnish with lots of coriander leaves.
Notes
- As I said before, choose red rajma or any variety with straeks that gets cooked easily. not the deep red (blackish red).
- Cook rajma soft and simmer for long time for tasty curry.
- You can try adding a large pinch of cooking soda while pressure cooking, in case of emergency.
- Instead of ginger garlic paste, you can use chopped ginger and chopped garlic.
- Or chopped ginger alone too works fine. If you want to avoid garlic, use hing/ asafoetida.
Aruna Manikandan says
healthy and delicious gravy, love it 🙂
Nagalakshmi V says
i use canned beans which makes it even quicker 🙂
sowmya(creative saga) says
The picture is so tempting..lovely..goes well with steamed basmati rice actually..
CHITRA says
This is in my try list , must try soon. tempting clicks 🙂
Vardhini says
Curry looks delicious Raks. Inviting pictures.
Nisha says
Beautiful presentation
APARNARAJESHKUMAR says
lovely presentation raks !
Sowmya Sundararajan says
Lovely
Jeyashrisuresh says
Me too tired of cooking the rajma from mustafa. Got an pack of rajma from fairprice this time. Finger licking gravy. Pretty clicks
Rafeeda AR says
looks absolutely yummy... love the addition of evaporated milk... i really love ur page, gives a good feel about how delicious veg cooking can be!!! 🙂
Divya Kudua says
I love Rajma with flaky parathas,looks delicious!
Revathi says
Delicious curry for chapatti or Jeera rice its my all time fav...neat clicks
Priti S says
Looks yum ...love this always
Kaveri Venkatesh says
Looks absolutely delicious
Priya Suresh says
Such a protein packed dish, excellent pair of rotis as well as for rice.
prathibha Garre says
Rajma and chawal is the most adored combination at my place..You can even try pink colored skin rajma,I just love them as they cook very nicely and adds the creamy texture by themselves to the gravy
Hamaree Rasoi says
This combination (rajma-chawal) rocks..But last time when I bought I had tough time to boil the rajmas as they were hard like stone even after cooking 40 min pressure cooker. Gravy looks so inviting also I never added cream or milk...
Srimathi says
Beautiful clicks. Rajma looks so beautiful through your eyes.
Finla says
I love rajma with rice or chapathies, and your rajma curry looks so good.
Ms.Chitchat says
Picture perfect rajma. A thorough professional preparation, nice click.
Saranya Balaji says
Beautiful clicks...so impressed of ur step by step explanation...
First time here u have great place..
Happy to follow u 🙂
Anu says
Looks tempting, wonderful masala great with pulkah
Premalatha Aravindhan says
Delicious masala,haven't tried at home...wanna make soon:)
Sudha Sabarish says
Even i too have experienced the above variety of rajma cooks soon.Yummy masala.
divya says
wow..delicious and tempting .lovely clicks too...
PriyaVaasu says
Lovely presentation raks!!!! I too sothapified rajma when I cooked it first time. It has improved a lot now. I don't add kasuri methi though! !!! Will try adding next time! !!!
Gayathri Ramanan says
protein packed healthy curry looks so good..
Sangeetha says
creamy and delicious rajma masala...excellent preparation!
Priya Yallapantula says
What an amazing recipe. I think you should send it to my "Healthy Me & Healthy Us" event 🙂
Gayathri says
It looks very yummy..what is the cream i can use for this.. can you tell me the brand name which will be good.
I always use your blog for cooking as am beginner for cooking and everything turns out delicious..You are a wonderful and dedicated chef
Veena Theagarajan says
looks so yummy and creamy I started buying Rajma from NTUC for last 5 years -)
RAKS KITCHEN says
I always use Nestle cream. Its easily available in shops.
Dipti Joshi says
Rajma chawal is one of my favorite meals...
Wer SAHM says
rajma masala looks fabulous....
Nivedhanams Sowmya says
Picture beautiful Rajma.... So tempting... looks soooo good!!!
Sowmya
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Nagashree says
Yummy and creamy looking Rajma. I too love adding kasoor methi in these dishes.
Sharmilee! :) says
Creamy yummy rajma masala...looks very appetizing!!
Sharmilee! :) says
I love rajma in any form....looks yummy
Sonal Ramesh says
it tuned out to be the best rajma I ever made- thanks to you!!My kids loved it:)Awesome pictures!
Anusha Rajendran says
Looks delicious and nice clicks...
Anusha Rajendran says
Looks delicious and nice clicks...
bugsy says
I cooked it today and its yumm..good recipe
Swetha varadarajan says
did you soak the canned one for 12 hours or used it rite away?
Raks anand says
If canned can use it right away no need to soak
Ramya Aravind says
instead of cream can we add any other thing
Raks anand says
You can add milk.
Schist says
Thanks for bringing out the best in me.It was delicious 😀
prachi kulkarni says
its delicious....i tried it...umm yummy
Deepa says
I see many recipes have fresh cream and without that I am not able to try your recipes. Do you know which shops in US have that Nestle Cream? Thank you
Rajlakshmi says
awesome... I am gonna try this today... socked Rajma in the morning... hope it would be ready to be cooked by the time I reach home in the evening. 😀
Elvin says
Hi, It all started with the palak paneer..... My husband loved it....and now Rajma......simply loved it....I am an amateur cook and ure recipes are really helping.....u make veggies look so good.....thanks for the lovely work u doing and helping us amateurs to become distant cooks.... Thanks
Sanket says
Mostly all punjabi recipes have Onion and Milk used together. Are they not opposite food items? And, shouldn't be consumed together?
Raks anand says
Oh is it so? I am hearing for first time.
Drishti Shah says
What can I use in place of onions ?!
We don't use onions !! 🙁
Raks anand says
Just skip it and try, it should be fine I think.
govt says
what can i use in place of kasoori methi?
Raks anand says
I dont think there is any substitute for kasoori methi. It adds a great flavor to the gravy, so better use it.
Prathima Domakonda says
This is my try list, must try soon. Nice click:)
Renuka Ambbarees says
I am having small white soya beans...shall I use this to prepare rajma masala? ?
Raks anand says
Sure you can try. It will get cooked sooner.
Renuka Ambbarees says
Ok mam 🙂 thanks
Rismiya Nasrudeen says
Hi.....I tried this recipe without milk/ cream.....still it was delicious ..... thanks
navakodi says
U can get it from ur nearby Indian stores
vijayalakshmi muthu says
Exactly !!!
Gauthami Babu says
I tried this recipe it turned out yummy. My hubby is a big fan of rajma i always make some mistakes this time it was great thanks Raji, love to follow you.������
T A T U M says
So delicious.
Madhu says
Good and easy recipe. Came out just perfect. Thanku
FarmerUncle says
this is so good! i really love rajma and everything related to it. i am so gonna try it.
Silvia says
I can't wait to make this dish, it looks delicious!
Unknown says
I tried and it came out well and easy also.
Raks Kitchen says
Thank you for your feedback.
Vidhya says
Thanks for this recipe.. I tried it today and my family just loved it and could not stop saying again and again "Amma the rajma chawal is stupendous " 🙂
Raks Anand says
Thank you!