Kashmiri Rajma
small dark kidney beans simmered with fennel and dry ginger, without an onion in sight
Start the day before. The soaking alone is 8 hr, against 90 min of actual work.
Allergens in Kashmiri Rajma: mustard.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 300g, soaked overnight and drained Rajmathe small dark beans of Bhaderwah if you can find them; they cook softer and sweeter
- 4 tbsp Mustard Oil
- 2 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli
- 2 tbsp Fennel Powder
- 1 tbsp Dry Ginger Powder
- 1/2 tsp Asafoetidause compounded-free hing to keep the dish gluten-free
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1, cracked Black Cardamom
- 3 Cloves
- 1 stick, 5cm Cinnamon
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1/2 tsp, to finish Garam Masalaoptional
- 1.2 litres Water
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop, pressure cooker
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Soak the beans in plenty of cold water for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Unsoaked rajma does soften eventually, but it takes far longer and cooks unevenly, and old beans or hard water slow it further.
- Salt whenever suits you. Salted water does not toughen the skins, whatever the old rule says; if anything it helps them go tender.
- Soak the Kashmiri chilli powder in 4 tbsp warm water for 10 minutes; it goes in as a smooth paste and colours the gravy evenly.
Method
- Boil the drained beans in the water with the bay leaf, black cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
- Simmer covered 60 minutes, or pressure-cook 20 minutes at full pressure, until a bean crushes to paste between finger and thumb.Under-done rajma tastes chalky and no amount of gravy hides it. Test three beans, not one.
- Heat the mustard oil in a second pan until it just smokes, then lower the flame.Smoke the mustard oil first; raw, it stays bitter right through the dish.
- Add the hing and let it foam for 10 seconds.
- Off the heat, stir in the chilli paste, turmeric, fennel powder and dry ginger, then return to low heat and fry for 2 minutes until the oil separates at the edges.
- Pour the tempering into the beans along with their cooking liquid and add salt to taste.
- Crush a ladleful of the beans against the side of the pot and stir them back in to thicken the gravy.This is what gives Kashmiri rajma its body. There is no cream and no tomato doing that job.
- Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, until the gravy is red-brown and coats the beans rather than pooling around them.
- Stir in the garam masala, rest 5 minutes and serve with plain rice.
Storage
Keeps 4 days refrigerated and is better on day two. Freezes well for a month; reheat with a splash of water to loosen the gravy.
Nutrition Low estimate
One serving of Kashmiri Rajma (290 g) is about 419 calories, or 145 calories per 100 g.
Medium protein: 19 g a serving, 18% of the calories
| Per serving290 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 419 kcal | 145 kcal |
| Protein | 18.8 g | 6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 53.3 g | 18 g |
| of which sugars | 2.0 g | 1 g |
| Fibre | 16.1 g | 6 g |
| Fat | 16.5 g | 6 g |
| of which saturated | 1.9 g | 1 g |
| of which unsaturated | 13.0 g | 4 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for asafoetida, garam masala. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Healthy Indian recipes · Vegan Indian recipes · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Kashmiri recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.