Punjabi Rajma masala (red kidney beans)

Rajma is often paired with sada chawal (plain rice).It's a combination that could never go wrong.Rajma is another name for comfort food.This dish never fails to please the taste buds.It's the most simple yet delicious Indian dishes one could easily make at their home.We often go to restaurants for relishing on a plate of spicy rajma masala paired with naan or paratha and accompanied with achaar (pickle) and salad.I am already drooling while typing this trust me.This Punjabi style rajma masala is a quick and a easy way to fulfill your cravings and it's lighter on your pocket,too.Unlike those expensive restaurant bills.

Ingredients Serves-3-4 people

• 1 1/4th cup of overnight soaked and boiled rajma
• Rajma water (the water in which it was boiled)
• 2 medium to large onions finely chopped or minced in a processor
• 3 medium tomatoes chopped finely
• 2 green chilies sliced into half and d-seeded
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp of cumin powder
• 1 tsp of kashmiri red chilly
• Pinch of turmeric
• 1 tbsp of ginger garlic paste
• 1 1/2 tsp of dry methi leaves
• 1/4th tsp of garam masala
• Chopped coriander and mint leaves
• 3-4 tbsp of oil
• salt to taste

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy kadhai.Once hot add in the ginger garlic paste.Saute for a while.
   
2. Add in the onions.Saute till slight golden.
   
3. Pour in the chopped tomatoes.Cook till the tomatoes gets soft.
   
4. Add in all the dry masala's and the green chilly slits.Cook till the spices releases all it's oils.If mixture seems too dry sprinkle in a bit of water.
   
5. Add the pre-boiled rajma and cook till the spices coat the rajma properly.
   
6. Add the water in which the rajma is pre-boiled.When the rajma is boiled the water get's stained with the color of rajma.Don't throw it away.Use it for the gravy instead of water.Cover it with the lid and let it bubble away. This is done so that the rajmas gets soften and absorb all the flavors inside.
   
7. Once it's like 3/4th done add in the salt,garam masala,mint leaves,coriander leaves and dry kasuri methi leaves crushed between the palms.
   
8. After it absorbs all the spices and flavors and attains a consistency of a thick gravy switch of the gas and serve the rajma masala with your favorite accompaniment and Eat it up! :)
   

Tips:-

1. Soaking the rajma overnight is preferable.
2. Boil the rajma in a pressure cooker till 3-4 whistles the next morning.
3. For more head add the green chilies with their seeds or use the hot red chilly powder instead of the mild kashmiri red chilly powder.
4. If the gravy dries up then add little water.