Day 2 : Rajma

DAY 2 : Rajma (large quantity, can be frozen for many days)

Today my dad tried cooking rajma, his favourite dish, from this recipe. The picture’s below are his!

Ingredients

1 and a 1/2 tbsp oil

300g rajma (kidney beans)

2 onions (chopped)

4 tomatoes (large) (chopped) or can use 2 tomatoes and 2 tbsp of tomato puree

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp ginger (can be substituted with 1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dhaniya/coriander powder

1 tsp haldi/turmeric

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional)

2 green chillis (optional)

2 bay leaves

2 black cardamom/ilaichi

1 cinnamon stick/daal chini

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp jeera

Freshly chopped coriander for garnish

Method

1. After washing the rajma, soak it overnight with 5 cups of water in a pot

2. Next morning, put the rajma along with the water in a pressure cooker. Add cinnamon stick, 2 black cardamom and bay leaves. Add haldi powder and salt as well. Close the lid

3. Switch on gas

4. Cook for 5 whistles (it takes approx. 15 minutes if cooked on medium to high heat)

5. Take a frying pan and add oil and heat on medium

6. Add jeera/cumin till it splutters.

7. Add chilli powder and coriander (dhania) powder and mix well for 30 seconds.

10. Add ginger and garlic

11. Cook for 20 seconds (don’t let it burn) and then add chopped onions. Stir till the onions turn brown. Wait for the ONIONS to become more brown than the picture below!

13. Add chopped tomatoes( and tomato puree). Stir till it becomes mushed and tomato juices dry up.

14. Switch off gas of frying pan and let it cool (touch to check).

15. Put it in a mixie or blender and blend it for 20 seconds

16. Add this paste to the rajma which has been boiled in the pressure cooker (if you want you can add green chilli at this stage). First check if the rajma has been cooked – take one rajma out and squish it between the fingers (if it squishes it is cooked)