Rajma Masala

Rajma Masala is thick, mildly spicy and aromatic vegetarian side dish recipe. This popular North Indian recipe consisting of kidney beans and few spices and masalas is vegan protein rich recipe. Rajma Masala is often served with rice or roti.

About This Recipe

The combination of rajma masala and basmati rice is PERFECT example of comforting and soul-hugging meal. Rajma Chawal is an emotion, gives the feeling of home, mom-made food (maa ke haath ka khana).

The ingredients of rajma masala recipe are SIMPLE and pantry friendly. The only time consuming part in making this recipe is soaking of rajma. Soaking rajma for 8-10 hours or overnight is mandatory.

Rajma Chawal is regular part of diet in North India. Rajma is the Indian name for Kidney Beans. Kidney beans are RICH source of vitamin B1 and also helps in lowering the cholesterol.

Rajma Masala

Rajma masala recipe is easy to make. You can pack this in school or office lunch box along with chapatis or rice. I love to relish rajma masala with jeera rice.

In dhaba or in street side food stalls, rajma masala is poured over bed of steamed white rice. This is served along with laccha pyaaz or papad or kachumber and lemon wedges. I have listed few more serving suggestions in the notes section of recipe card below the post.

Rajma masala with chawal or roti makes a nutritious, filling and plant protein rich meal. If beans are soaking for 8 hours, then it only takes 25-30 minutes in making this delicious rajma recipe.

You can make this recipe in two ways. One is by adding all the spices and masala and sautéing them in oil. And then adding soaked rajma and pressure cooking until soft.

In another method, you can pressure cook rajma until soft. And then add it to the tempering of spices and masalas. Either the way, this rajma recipe tastes yum!

Main Ingredients For Rajma Masala

Rajma | Kidney Beans – are versatile and provide substantial nutritional and health benefits. Red kidney beans are common and mostly used in making rajma masala. There are two popular rajma recipes. One if Punjabi Rajma recipe and other is Kashmiri Rajma recipe.

The one I am going to share with you today is Punjabi Rajma Masala Recipe. Punjabi rajma is made using red kidney beans whereas, Kashmiri rajma recipe is made using rajma which are specially grown in the Kashmir region.

Kashmiri rajma are small and glossy compared to red rajma. Apart from this, there is a difference in spice and masalas used in making these two rajma recipes.

Onion–Tomato – you can either make paste of this and fry or you can fry and make paste of these two and use it. The onion-tomato masala forms the base for this of this recipe.

List Of Spice Powders

Red Chili Powder – brings in heat and spice in the recipe

Roasted Coriander Powder – adds flavour and aroma

Roasted Cumin Powder – adds aroma and intense flavour

Ginger-Garlic Paste acts as a taste enhancer

Garam Masala, adds flavour, aroma and heat

Dry Mango Powder (amchur powder), adds unique tangy taste

Make It Vegan

Little milk or cream is added to rajma masala at the end of cooking to bring creamy texture and to balance the spices. To make vegan rajma masala, skip adding milk or cream.

To bring creamy texture in the rajma recipe, add cashew or almond paste. Soak cashews or almonds in lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes. If using almonds, peel the skin and grind to smooth paste.

Add this paste to the rajma at the end of the recipe. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes and turn off the flame.

More Bean Recipes To Try,

Punjabi Lobia Masala – is a delicious, easy to make and plant-protein rich North Indian style Black-Eyed Bean Curry recipe. 

Crispy Alasanda Vada – is delicious, vegan, gluten-free and plant-protein rich fritter made with black-eyed peas. 

Mixed Veg Pulao – super delicious medley of 5 different beans and rice.

White Peas Sundal – is plant protein rich, fat free, vegan and gluten free recipe.

Leftover Boiled Rajma

If you have boiled more rajma and wondering what to do with it? The, make this Bhangra Burger. The patty of this burger is made with boiled rajma and kali dal.

You can even make sundal. Follow my recipe of fresh rajma sundal to make dry rajma sundal.

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This rajma masala post is going to be part of “Monthly Muslim Food Blogger Challenge“, where the theme of the month is “Choose The Missed Challenge“. Allhumdulliah, this month marks the one year anniversary of our monthly muslim food blogger challenge. I think, I missed 2-3 themes in this challenge, so I picked up “Cooking From Scrapbook“.

Cooking From Scrapbook

Growing up, I always loved to pen down new, tasty and unique recipes in my diary. Growing in south India, I never knew about rajma or any recipe related with it.

When I was in college, I got introduced to this rajma masala through a North Indian friend. I could not stop myself gulping spoons of rajma chawal. It was instant LOVE. I got the recipe from her mom, but I never tried it till I married and moved to Bangalore.

After coming to Bangalore, I saw rajma in almost every vegetarian food selling restaurants. When I picked up the theme “cooking from scrapbook”, I thought nothing would be more appropriate than making this delicious rajma masala and unwinding the college memories. Thank you Rafeeda of “The Big Sweet Tooth” for coming up with this theme based event and running it successfully for a year. Happy one year anniversary to all the folks who participated in this Monthly Muslim Food Blogger Challenge.