🫘 Rajma
Rajma is a North Indian curry of red kidney beans simmered in a thick sauce of tomato, onion and garlic, seasoned with cumin and garam masala. The beans turn soft and creamy while the gravy becomes rich and earthy. It is most often served with steamed rice as rajma chawal, a classic comfort meal.
Diets
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens in a typical recipe.
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tomatoes, puréed
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
Method
- Drain the soaked beans and boil them in fresh water for 45–60 minutes until fully soft.
- Heat the oil, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Fry the onion until golden, then add the garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the tomato purée, garam masala and salt and cook until the oil separates.
- Add the beans with some cooking water and simmer 20 minutes, mashing a few beans to thicken.
How to make it lighter
- Use 1 tbsp oil instead of 2 — 1 tbsp oil ≈ 120 kcal.
- Serve with a smaller portion of rice and a larger portion of beans for more protein and fibre.
- Add a side of salad or cucumber to bulk up the plate.
History
Kidney beans came to India from the Americas, and rajma became especially popular in Punjab, Jammu and Himachal Pradesh. Rajma chawal is today one of the best-known home-style meals of North India.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →