Indian recipe

Rajma Masala

Name: Rajma Masala
Prep time: 8 h 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 9 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Indian cuisine
Ingredients: 300 g dried red kidney beans, soaked 8–12 hours; 1.3 L water for pressure cooking; 35 ml neutral oil or ghee; 4 g cumin seeds; 250 g onion, finely chopped; 20 g ginger-garlic paste; 350 g tomato puree; 7 g ground coriander; 4 g Kashmiri chile powder; 2 g turmeric; 4 g garam masala; 2 g dried fenugreek leaves, crushed; 9 g fine salt, divided; 20 g cilantro, chopped

Red kidney beans are pressure-cooked until creamy and simmered in a slow-browned onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, and garam masala gravy.

India

Prep: 8 hr 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 10 min
Total: 9 hr 30 min
Servings: 6

Rajma masala with tender red kidney beans in thick reddish-brown gravy beside basmati rice — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by rovingISource page · Original file · CC BY 2.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

300 g
dried red kidney beans, soaked 8–12 hours
1.3 L
water for pressure cooking
35 ml
neutral oil or ghee
4 g
cumin seeds
250 g
onion, finely chopped
20 g
ginger-garlic paste
350 g
tomato puree
7 g
ground coriander
4 g
Kashmiri chile powder
2 g
turmeric
4 g
garam masala
2 g
dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
9 g
fine salt, divided
20 g
cilantro, chopped

Method

01
Soak and inspect the beans
Soak beans in at least three times their volume of cool water for 8–12 hours. Drain, rinse, and discard split or discoloured beans; never cook kidney beans only by a low slow-cooker method.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Pressure-cook until fully tender
Add beans, 1.3 L fresh water, and 4 g salt to a pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure 30 minutes and release naturally 20 minutes; boil uncovered 10 minutes if any bean remains firm. Reserve 600 ml liquid.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Brown cumin and onion deeply
Heat oil over medium, sizzle cumin 20 seconds, then add onion. Cook 12–15 minutes, stirring and scraping, until evenly deep gold without black edges.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Cook the tomato-spice masala
Add ginger-garlic for 1 minute. Add tomato, coriander, chile, turmeric, and 3 g salt; cook medium-low 12–15 minutes until thick, glossy, and free of raw tomato aroma.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Simmer beans in the gravy
Add beans and 500 ml reserved liquid. Simmer partly covered for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes; mash 80 g beans against the pot to make a naturally creamy gravy.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Finish the aroma
Stir in garam masala, fenugreek, and remaining salt. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes until the gravy coats a spoon but still flows; add reserved liquid if necessary.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Rest and serve with rice
Turn off heat, cover, and rest 15 minutes. Fold in cilantro and serve with plain basmati rice; the rest is part of the cooking because the beans continue absorbing masala.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Measure and stage whole spices, ground spices, aromatics, and finishing ingredients separately; each enters at a different heat stage.
Cook onion-tomato masala until its raw smell disappears and fat glistens at the edge; adding liquid too early leaves a harsh sauce.

Common mistakes

Ground spices scorch quickly in a dry pan; lower the heat and add a measured splash of water if the masala catches.
Do not add garam masala at the beginning unless specified; its volatile aromas are strongest near the end.

Substitutions

Use 720 g drained canned kidney beans only if they have been fully pressure-cooked by the manufacturer; rinse and start at the onion step with 550 ml water.
For dairy-free rajma, use neutral oil instead of ghee; no other change is needed.

Storage

Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate airtight for up to 3 days. Reheat once to a steady simmer and at least 74°C throughout.

Cultural context

Rajma chawal—kidney-bean curry with rice—is a beloved North Indian comfort meal. Thorough boiling is both a texture and food-safety requirement for kidney beans.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Rajma, kidney beans, served with chawal, rice — Photograph by rovingI; CC BY 2.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Indian recipes

Rajma Masala

Ingredients

Method

Soak and inspect the beans

Pressure-cook until fully tender

Brown cumin and onion deeply

Cook the tomato-spice masala

Simmer beans in the gravy

Finish the aroma

Rest and serve with rice

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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