Rajma is one of those comfort foods that reminds me of my childhood days. This is a creamy, nutritious protein packed curry that goes very well with rice or roti or both.
Over these years I have modified the recipe so as to use my kitchen gadgets and make my life simpler.
You will need:
1 medium sized onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 15oz can of kidney beans or 1 cup of pre-cooked kidney beans
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp amchur powder (dry mango)
1 small bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp of crushed black cardamom seeds (optional, brings in a wonderful aroma)
salt per your taste
Method:
In an IP, heat up 1 tbsp oil in saute mode. Add onion, tomatoes and ginger garlic paste. Saute till onion turns translucent. Then add the spices (except cinnamon stick and bay leaf), let them coat the veggies.
Either take this mixture out and grind it into a paste in your blender.
OR
Add 1 cup of water/ liquid from the cooked kidney beans. Bring it to a boil.
Then blend this soupy mixture with your immersion blender in the IP itself (I love this method, since I need not transfer the mixture out and then back in)
I highly recommend having an immersion blender in your kitchen for that reason and to make yummy soups!
To this gravy, add cinnamon stick and bay leaf and either canned beans or precooked beans and salt per your taste.
If using canned beans, close the IP lid, set valve in sealed position, set it in manual high pressure mode for 3 minutes. Wait for natural pressure release.
If using precooked beans, then just add them and bring the gravy to a boil.
Garnish it with cilantro.
Cooking beans in Instant Pot
Presoaked beans:
This is the traditional method. It is easier to digest if you soak it . It also reduces the cook time to 15 minutes.
I actually soak it in the IP itself and close the lid and keep the valve in sealed position. Set it to manual high pressure mode for 15 minutes, but use the TIMER function and set it for 8 hours or whatever overnight time that you need. And let to have natural pressure release.This way it soaks overnight and cooks in your IP by the time you wake up in the morning!!
Unsoaked beans:
This also works in IP. Just need to increase cooking time to 40 minutes in manual high pressure mode with natural pressure release.
Tip:
I usually cook the beans in "pot in a pot" method along with a grain (usually rice). This way my beans and rice and ready at the same time!!
