Rajma Chawal

Name: Rajma Chawal
Total time: 2400 s
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 cups Kidney beans (red kidney beans); 2 tbsp Sesame seed oil (your choice)/butter; 1 bay leaf; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 1 tsp Fennel seeds; 1 tsp methi seeds; 1/2 tsp hing; 4 dried red chilies; 1/4 cup Onion finely chopped; 1 tsp Ginger, grated; 1 tsp Garlic, grated; 1/2 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; 1 tsp cumin powder; 3 cups Tomatoes, finely chopped; 1 green chili, chopped; 1/4 cup Curry leaves,; 1 c potatoes. steam cooled, peeled and diced; 1 tablespoon garam masala powder; 2 tbsp kasthuri methi; As required Salt; 1/2 c Basmati rice; 1 tbsp jeera; 2 tbsp butter; 1 bay leaf; 1/2 inch cinnamon stick

Lakshmi Sridharan Ph D @cook_19872338

USA

When it comes to Punjabi cooking my friend Baljeet is my guru. She used to make the most delicious Punjabi food. This recipe is no exception to it. I served Rajma koottu with jeera rice/chawal. Kidney beans are loaded with healthy nutrients and fiber and excellent source of protein. Jeera/cumi rice is flavorful, aromatic and healthy. #CA26 #Rajma #chawal

Lakshmi Sridharan Ph D @cook_19872338

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Ingredients

30-40 mins

6 servings

Rajma koottu:
2 cupsKidney beans (red kidney beans)
2 tbspSesame seed oil (your choice)/butter
1bay leaf
1 tspmustard seeds
1 tspFennel seeds
1 tspmethi seeds
1/2 tsphing
4dried red chilies
1/4 cupOnion finely chopped
1 tspGinger, grated
1 tspGarlic, grated
1/2 tspturmeric powder
1 tspcoriander powder
1 tspcumin powder
3 cupsTomatoes, finely chopped
1green chili, chopped
1/4 cupCurry leaves,
1 cpotatoes. steam cooled, peeled and diced
1 tablespoongaram masala powder
2 tbspkasthuri methi
As requiredSalt
for jeera chawal/rice
1/2 cBasmati rice
1 tbspjeera
2 tbspbutter
1bay leaf
1/2 inchcinnamon stick

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Steps

30-40 mins

1

Collect the necessary ingredients. Place near the cooking area
2

Collect the necessary ingredients. Place near the cooking area
3

Soak the kidney beans in a bowl with 5 cups of water for 4 hours. Cook in a pressure cooker. I don't have a whistle cooker. Keep the cooker with enough water, about 6c over high flame. Place the bowl with the beans inside the cooker. Close the cooker with the lid and with the weight. After the pressure develops, reduce the flame. Do not overcook the beans. It is enough when the beans get a little soft, 10 min. Turn off the stove. After the pressure goes down, open the cooker, take the bowl out.
4

Over medium heat heat oil in a heavy saucepan. Add mustard, fennel, cumin, and fenugreek seeds to the hot oil. After the seeds splutter, get an aromatic stir in onions, green chillies, bay leaf, sauté. When the onion turns brown, add ginger, garlic, spice powders- turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powders, curry leaves, add tomatoes, and cook for 4 minutes. Let tomatoes get soften----
5

Steam cook or cookpotato in boiling water until soft. peel, Add the cooked potatoes to the sauce pan with cooked tomatoes. stir, Add 5 cups of water, and bring it to a boil. add the cooked kidney beans, and stir. Add garam masala, and stir. Simmer the fire. Turn off the stove after 5 minutes..
6

Salt to tasteand stir. Add crushed Kasturi methi. garnish with cilantro
7

Remove from the stove and place in a serving bowl.
Taste and serve. You may serve it with rice, rotis, parantha and etc. I served with Jeera rice
8

Jeera rice. Take 2tbsp ghee or butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, Add cumin and a bay leaf, When aromatic add basmati rice. fry for a minute. Add 2c of water, bring it to boil. Salt to taste. You continue to cook rice over the stove if you want. I transferred the contents of the saucepan with rice to a rice cooker and cooked in electric rice cooker. When rice get cooked, cooker automatically turns off. Flavorful aromatic jeera chawal is ready to be served with rajma
9

Serve jeera chawal with rajma. mix 1c cooked chawal with 2c rajma koottu and 1 tsp ghee. It tastes divine. You may serve with papads, chips, stir fried veggies. Enjoy

Tips

Do not over cook kidney beans or rice.

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Lakshmi Sridharan Ph D @cook_19872338

on July 13, 2026 21:26

USA

I am a scientist with a Ph.D from University of Michigan. Ann Arbor. I also have a M. SC from University of Madras. Enjoy sharing my knowledge in science and my experience in gardening and cooking with others. I am a free lance writer, published several articles on Indian culture, traditions, Indian cuisine, science of gardening and etc in National and Inernational magazines. I am a health food nut. I am passionate about photography