Flavorful Rajma Gravy served with a mound of steaming warm rice is something truly comforting. This beloved North Indian dish, made with tender kidney beans simmered in a rich, aromatic tomato-onion gravy, is more than just a meal; it's a soulful experience. Wholesome, hearty, and bursting with flavor, Rajma Chawal (as it's fondly called) is the ultimate comfort food that brings warmth to any table.
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Why will you love this dish?
- Ultimate Comfort Food: Rajma with rice is warm, hearty, and very satisfying, perfect for cozy meals.
- Flexible Ingredients: Use canned kidney beans for convenience or soak dried beans overnight for a more traditional touch.
- One-Pot Meal: Simple to prepare and easy to clean up, everything cooks in one pot.
- Rich, Authentic Flavor: Slow simmering helps the kidney beans absorb the aromatic tomato-onion gravy and spices for a truly authentic taste.
- Versatile Pairing: Pairs perfectly with steamed rice, Ghee Rice, Vegetable Biryani, or Indian breads like chapatis, bhatura easy recipe, and rotis.
- Great for Batch Cooking: Makes a generous portion and is ideal for leftovers or meal prep.
- This dish, like the dal moth recipe , dry green peas, and channa masala, goes well with rice dishes like Ghee rice in cooker or Vegetable Biryani or even with any bread like chapatis or rotis. Please read on for the full recipe.
Ingredients for Rajma Masala
- Rajma (Light kidney beans) - soak in water if using dry ones or canned ones.
- Onions, tomatoes, green chilies, ginger, and garlic paste.
- Powdered spices like turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, dry mango powder (to get a sour taste), garam masala or rajma masala, and salt.
- Garnishes like chopped coriander leaves, julienne-cut ginger pieces
How to make Rajma Gravy?
We start by soaking the kidney beans overnight in water, which helps them cook faster and become perfectly tender. The next day, we pressure cook the beans along with aromatic spices in a flavorful tomato-onion-based gravy for that deep, comforting taste.
Begin by heating oil in a pressure cooker, then add cumin seeds and let them splutter to release their aroma. Next, sauté finely chopped onions until golden brown, followed by ginger-garlic paste for a rich, savory base.
- Step 1: In a pressure cooker, add oil and splutter cumin, add chopped onions and green chilies. Sautee well.
- Step 2: After a while, add ginger garlic paste.
- Step 3: Add spices and cook for a minute, and add ground tomatoes.
- Step 4: After it leaves oil, add soaked rajma and add necessary water, and pressure cook for 5 whistles
When oil separates, add turmeric, chili, cumin, coriander, amchur powder, and salt. Once the raw smell disappears, add pureed or finely ground tomatoes and cook until the oil begins to separate.
Add a little water and pressure cook for approximately 4 to 5 whistles. After pressure is released, adjust the water simmer and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and ginger.
Add fresh homemade garam masala or store-bought rajma masala if using in the end, along with powdered fenugreek leaves. Do check out how to make fresh garam masala and use it if possible to get an authentic taste. You can also add a little cream if you want a rich gravy. It is optional.
- Step 5: Adjust water as needed after pressure cooking
- Step 6: Add some dried fenugreek leaves and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Some other tomato onion-based gravies that you may like Channa Masala, Amritsari pindi chana, and Paneer tikka masala. Another popular gravy is quick paneer curry and simple toor dal, which is easy to make and tastes awesome.
Useful Tips
- Soak the Rajma: Always soak the kidney beans for at least 8 hours or overnight. This softens them, reduces cooking time, and ensures they cook evenly.
- Pressure Cooking for the Right Texture: Start by pressure cooking the soaked beans on high flame for 2 whistles, then lower the heat and cook for 4-5 more whistles. This method gives the beans a soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Skip the Store-Bought Spice Mix (Optional): While store-bought Rajma Masala is convenient, you can get an authentic flavor using a combination of: -Garam Masala, Amchur (Dry Mango) Powder, Turmeric, Red Chili Powder, and Coriander Powder (the classic trio)
- Finish with Kasuri Methi: A small amount of crushed, dry fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) added at the end brings out a rich, earthy aroma and enhances the overall flavor.
- Simmer for Depth: After adding the cooked beans to the masala, let the gravy simmer well. This helps the beans soak in the spices and makes the dish more flavorful.
Related Recipes
If you tried this Rajma Gravy Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below. I love hearing from you!
Rajma Gravy
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 2 cups kidney beans (soaked over night)
- 1 cup onion (finely chopped)
- 1 cup tomato (finely chopped)
- 2 green chillies slit use more if tolerated
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder Kashmiri
- 3 tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- ¼ tsp dry mango powder
- 1 tsp rajma masala MDH brand or any other
- 1 cup coriander leaves (chopped for garnishing)
- 1 inch ginger (julienne cut for garnishing)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek leaves dried
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Soak the kidney beans in plenty of water overnight
- In a pressure cooker add the oil
- Add cumin seeds
- Add chopped onions and green chilies and sautee well
- Add ginger garlic paste and sautee till the raw smell goes away
- Add chopped or ground tomatoes and sautee until it leaves oil from the sides
- Add all the spices: turmeric, chilli, cumin, coriander, amchur powder, rajma masala(optional), garam masala(optional), and salt
- Add the soaked kidney beans and mix well
- Add enough water and pressure cook for 15 to 20 mins or for about 4 to 5 whistles
- When pressure releases , simmer for another 10 mins
- Add dried fenugreek leaves, chopped coriander leaves, and ginger for garnishing.
- Rajma is ready, Serve with rice or rotis.
Video
Notes
- Soak the Rajma: Always soak the kidney beans for at least 8 hours or overnight. This softens them, reduces cooking time, and ensures they cook evenly.
- Pressure Cooking for the Right Texture: Start by pressure cooking the soaked beans on high flame for 2 whistles, then lower the heat and cook for 4-5 more whistles. This method gives the beans a soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Skip the Store-Bought Spice Mix (Optional): While store-bought Rajma Masala is convenient, you can get an authentic flavor using a combination of: -Garam Masala, Amchur (Dry Mango) Powder, Turmeric, Red Chili Powder, and Coriander Powder (the classic trio)
- Finish with Kasuri Methi: A small amount of crushed, dry fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) added at the end brings out a rich, earthy aroma and enhances the overall flavor.
- Simmer for Depth: After adding the cooked beans to the masala, let the gravy simmer well. This helps the beans soak in the spices and makes the dish more flavorful.
Love the Rajma curry, perfect weeknight dinner.
Thank you so much!
Ooooo... looks yummy! I’m sure it tasted good too.
Thank you so much!
Absolute favourite curry. Your rajma masala looks delicious & yum. Loved it .
Thank you so much!
Very nice Post about Rajma masala, Indian food lover will almost visit here to use. Thanks.
Thank you so much for the lovely comment , appreciate it!
Looks like a flavorful dish Nisha! If red chili powder and the dry mango powder were not added to the dish, would this affect the taste of the dish significantly? Thank you! 🙂
Thank you so much Anna for the lovely comment .I'm sure it will still taste good without the red chilli and dry mango powder although it may not have the bright color and spice .
This looks delicious!
Thank you so much for the comment and stopping by!
Oh my, this looks gorgeously yummy! My favorite!❤
Thank you so much Richa , my favorite as well!
Rajma chawal is one of my husband's favourites and I could tuck into it as soup any fine day. We clearly cook it the same way 🙂 xx
Same here Dippy, a favorite at my home as well , I love this recipe as it absorbs all the spices so well! Thank you 🙂
I can have Rajma at anytime , well captured 👍😋
Same here Ramya, Thank you so much for the comments, appreciate it !
Yumm ! Love Rajma Masala 😍Wonderful share Nisha!
Thank you so much Smitha , Rajma is a great comfort food and I love it as well!
Kidney beans are so versatile. Nice one Nisha. X
Very versatile indeed Lorelle . Thank you so much for the comments!
Absolutely love this... EPIC curry as well 👌
I agree it is an epic curry indeed and I never get bored of it. Thanks a lot Jyo , appreciate it!
Your photos making me feel hungry. I like to take it with jeera rice right now. 🙂
Jeera rice is indeed the best combination with this dish , Thank you Megala appreciate your comments!