Rajma Recipe | Rajma Masala | Rajma Chawal
Updated: August 2, 2024, By Swasthi
This Rajma Recipe makes for a perfect one-pot wholesome dinner that’s flavor-packed and delicious. Kidney beans are simmered in an aromatic curry base consisting of bold North Indian spices, herbs, onions and tomatoes. The dish goes by the name Rajma Masala and if served with basmati rice it is referred as Rajma Chawal (rice).
This is 100% plant based, gluten-free and gets done under 45 mins. In this post I share how to make it on the stovetop and in the instant pot. Have no pressure cooker? No worries! Use canned red kidney beans for ease. I have the instructions for both dried and canned.
Rajma Masala is a staple in North Indian homes and is one of the heavy hitters at Dhabas & restaurants. My recipe is simple enough for a beginner to make a home-style dish but includes plenty of tried and tested tips & ideas to make it a dhaba style (for extra flavor) or restaurant style (for a creamy texture).
What is Rajma?
For the uninitiated, Rajma is the Hindi name for kidney beans. Conventionally dried beans are soaked overnight and then boiled until tender before adding them to a prepared onion tomato bhuna masala. They are left to simmer until they soak up the flavors and get a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Rajma are fat-free and is believed to have many benefits since they are high in fiber, folate and magnesium. High fiber may promote digestive tract health, folate & magnesium makes them a heart healthy food. Considering these benefits kidney beans are widely eaten in India.
Kinds of Rajma
I prefer and use dark red kidney beans. If you are outside India this the most common kind available (both dried & canned). There are basically 4 or even more kinds of rajma, in varying sizes and colors. Red rajma, Chitra rajma, Jammu Rajma and yellow rajma are some of the most commonly available in the Indian stores.
Out of curiosity I have used several different kinds in the past and figured out the cook time changes with each kind. Chitra rajma cook faster and are lighter in texture & taste. While the dark red rajma like the ones I used in this post take a little longer to cook. But they taste very delicious, have a lot of flavor and also make your gravy thicker.
About the Recipe
There are 2 ways you can make this recipe.
- The traditional Punjabi style Rajma Masala. First soaked rajma is pressure cooked until tender, meanwhile a onion tomato masala is made separately. Lastly the soft cooked rajma is simmered in this masala.
- The second method is a one pot dish made directly in the pressure cooker/ instant pot and for this method you don’t need to pressure cook the beans separately. Instead everything is cooked at one shot.
A typical Punjabi rajma or bhuna masala is made with chopped onions, tomatoes & crushed ginger garlic. However onions, tomatoes and ginger garlic can be used in various forms – grated, boiled & pureed or fine chopped for a preferred texture.
More similar recipes you may like
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Punjabi Chole
Dal Makhani
Chana Masala
Aloo Gobi
Photo Guide
How to make Rajma Masala on Stovetop (Stepwise Photos)
For this recipe you will either use 1 cup dried rajma like shown in the pictures (or 2 – 15 oz cans of red kidney beans). If using canned beans omit steps 1 to 2 and start from step 3.
Prepare rajma – soak & pressure cook
1. Add 1 cup dried rajma to a large bowl and rinse them well a few times in lot of water. Pour 4 cups of fresh water and soak for a minimum of 8 hours to a maximum of 12 hours. Soaking properly helps them cook faster and the beans digest easily.
While you soak them, do not cover the bowl completely. Beans need fresh air while they soak, so cover them with a mesh basket or a thin breathable cloth. This prevents Rajma from turning sticky. When you are ready to cook, discard the water and rinse them thoroughly.
2. Transfer soaked rajma to a stovetop pressure cooker or instant pot. Pour 1½ cups water and pressure cook until soft, for 4 to 5 whistles. Or in the instant pot for 12 to 16 mins, depending on the age of rajma. Old beans take more time. Once cooked they should be soft enough yet hold there shape. If you mash a rajma with your fingers it should get mashed easily.
If they are al dente pressure cook them again for 2 more whistles or for few more minutes while you make the masala.
3. For this recipe you will need
- 1 cup (120 grams) fine chopped onions (from 2 medium onions or grated or boiled & pureed)
- 1½ cups (300 grams) tomatoes (2 large tomatoes pureed, or 1 cup canned tomato puree or 3 to 4 tablespoons double concentrate tomato paste, no citric acid added)
- 1 green chili/ serrano pepper chopped (optional)
- 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or 1 teaspoon each minced & crushed)
Make Onion Tomato Masala
4. Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee or oil in a pan. Add 1 bay leaf and half teaspoon cumin seeds (both are optional).
5. When the seeds begin to sizzle, add the onions and green chili.
6. Saute on a medium heat until deep golden, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger garlic paste.
7. Saute for 30 to 60 seconds without burning.
8. Pour the pureed tomatoes and cook until the raw flavor of tomatoes is gone, for about 3 minutes.
9. Stir in the spices:
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ to ¾ Kashmiri red chili powder (1 tsp for very hot)
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala
- 1½ to 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
10. Saute for 2 to 3 mins until aromatic.
11. Add the soft cooked rajma along with the stock (rajma cooked water). Pour more hot water, about ½ to 1 cup to bring it to a consistency. If using canned beans, drain them to a colander to discard the liquid and rinse them before adding here.
12. Mix well and cook for 10 to 15 mins. Taste test and add more salt, ¼ teaspoon garam masala (optional), ½ to 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (crushed in the palms first).
13. This is the consistency you will have. Optionally you may stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream.
14. It will thicken a bit more upon cooling. Garnish with 2 tablespoons coriander leaves & half inch ginger juliennes if you want. or
Give your Rajma a special touch
- Restaurant creamy style – Cool down ¼ cup of cooked rajma masala slightly & add to a small blender along with ¼ cup heavy cream/ cooking cream or homemade malai. Blend to a smooth puree and stir back to the prepared hot rajma masala. You may need to adjust the salt at this stage.
- For a special Dhaba style garnish – heat 1½ tablespoon ghee in a small tadka pan. Add half tsp cumin seeds, 2 dried red chilies, 2 slit green chilies (deseeded), 1 teaspoon (half inch) ginger julienned. Let fry on a low flame until the ginger turns aromatic, for a minute or 2. Turn off and add a large pinch of hing and ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (optional). Pour this over the finished Rajma Masala.
I have not done the above here because this is our regular rajma that I make often. I reserve the special finishings for special occasions and have always received plenty of compliments for both.
Sprinkle lemon juice while serving. Serve rajma hot with chawal (rice), onion and lemon wedges.
How to make Rajma Masala in Pressure Cooker (Stepwise Photos)
Here I share pictures of making this in the instant pot but also writing the instructions for Indian stovetop cooker. I have tested this recipe in a 3 liters steel cooker and pressure pan for the number of whistles. However if you have a different cooker, you may need to cook for more whistles.
1. Heat a pressure cooker with 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee or oil. (For the instant pot, you will press the saute button and carry on). Add 1 small bay leaf, half teaspoon cumin seeds and onions and sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions turn golden and about to caramelize. Stir in ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 to 60 seconds.
Do not burn and do not skip this step. Caramelized onions impart a wonderful flavor to the dish and they actually dissolve in the curry giving a thicker consistency. This step takes about 5 to 6 mins.
2. Add all the spice powders:
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chilli powder (Kashmiri)
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala
- 1½ to 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
3. Turn off the heat (stove or instant pot – press cancel) and mix all the spices well. Do not burn them.
Make Rajma Masala
4. Add soaked, drained and rinsed rajma along with 2 cups water if cooking in instant pot. For the stove top Indian whistling cooker, pour 2 ¼ cups water. Mix and deglaze the pot well so any bits of food stuck at the bottom is released.
5. For the Stovetop Indian cooker, cover it and place the weight. Pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles on a medium heat. Please note that number of whistles may vary depending on your cooker. Meanwhile pour the tomato puree to a small bowl/ pot and cook on a medium heat until it loses the raw flavor. Cover the pot partially as it splatters a bit. This takes about 5 to 6 mins.
Instant pot: Place a trivet inside the instant pot and place your tomato puree bowl over that. Secure the Instant pot with the lid, press the pressure cook button and set the timer to 18 mins.
6. After the pressure cooker is done, wait for the pressure to release naturally. (pic of cooked tomato puree)
7. Open the lid and check if the rajma is soft. They will have a melt in the mouth texture. This is what we are looking for. Mash them with a spoon and check. Super soft! Yet they hold their shape well. Now optionally mash 1 to 2 tbsps of rajma and add it back if you want a thicker gravy.
Finish the Dish
8. Mix well and pour the tomato puree and simmer for 2 to 4 mins. You won’t smell the raw tomatoes at all. If you want add more hot water to adjust the consistency. If you are not serving right away it thickens more as it rests and cools down. So if you want it runny, add about ½ to ¾ cup boiling hot water & simmer for 1 to 2 mins. (No cold water here!).
9. Taste test and adjust salt. Add more ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala if required along with ½ to 1 tablespoon kasuri methi. Stir and take off from heat.
Garnish rajma masala with chopped coriander leaves and fresh ginger juliennes.
Squeeze some lemon juice over the Rajma and serve with chawal / rice, sliced cucumbers and raw onions.
Expert Tips
Choosing Rajma: Always buy your rajma from a store where the stocks move out faster so you get fresher stock of beans. Old beans (aged beans) that have been in the shelves for a long time take longer to cook. Sometimes won’t cook at all. Avoid them at all cost as they also don’t digest well.
However if you want to use up the stock you already have you may brine them in salt or baking soda as mentioned below.
Soaking Rajma: Soak your kidney beans well for 8 to 12 hours. Soaking beans before cooking helps in easy digestion, without making you feel bloated and experience flatulence. This process not only softens the beans cutting down the cook time, but also cooks them to a smoother and creamier texture. Well-cooked rajma are easier to digest.
Avoid sticky rajma: Rajma tends to become sticky and slimy when soaked for too long or left in the stock for too long after cooking because they haven’t been prepared well. Avoid covering the bowl while soaking, beans need ample amount of air to breath as they soak. Cover with a mesh basket or a thin breathable cloth.
Also rinse them well after soaking and change the water at least once if soaking for longer than 8 hours.
Avoid eating undercooked rajma: Consuming undercooked rajma is extremely dangerous and can lead to health issues. For the same reason you should not be cooking unsoaked rajma.
How to make Rajma Masala Thick?
Slow cooking for long time to some extent makes the curry thick. I know a lot of people mash the rajma lightly once they are cooked in the masala. Here are my tips which will help you to get a thick gravy
- Blanch & puree the onions instead of grating or chopping.
- Puree the tomatoes and use. Chopped or grated tomatoes often separate water in the gravy.
- Blend/mash 2 tbsp of soft cooked rajma with little water and add it to the simmering gravy. Or puree them along with tomatoes & use. This will triple the taste, flavor & texture of your rajma masala. You will be surprised at how good your rajma smells & tastes.
- I haven’t used any cream like they do in the restaurants. However you can add a bit towards the end if you like.
FAQs
To get soft melt in the mouth rajma, they ideally need an 8 hours soak. However if you are short of time soak them in hot boiling water for 5 hours. Well soaked rajma are easier for digestion and help to achieve a creamier and smoother texture.
Pressure cook rajma for 4 to 5 whistles on a medium heat. However it depends on the kind of cooker. Smaller cookers and pressure pans cook faster in about 4 to 5 whistles. Aged, organic & Non-GMO beans take longer to cook. Soak them for about 12 hours so they cook in 4 to 5 whistles.
Bring 3 cups of water to a rolling boil and pour over 1 cup rajma. Cover and keep aside for 25 mins. Repeat this 3 to 4 times and keep draining the water. Under soaked and under cooked red kidney beans can be potentially toxic. So cook them well after this process.
Drain all of the liquid from the cans. Rinse the rajma well under running water. This helps to get rid of the excess sodium in the canned beans. Make sure they are soft and not al dente. If they are al dente, boil them with fresh water until soft. Make the onion tomato masala and add the canned beans and cook with fresh water.
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Recipe Card
Rajma Recipe (Rajma Masala)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 cup rajma (dry kidney beans or 2 – 15 Oz canned beans (3 cups))
- 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee (or oil)
- 1 small bay leaf (optional)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera, optional)
- 1 cup (120 grams) fine chopped onions (or ¾ cup grated or cube, boil & puree)
- 1 green chilli ( chopped or slit, optional)
- 1½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or 1 teaspoon each minced & crushed)
- 1½ cups (2 large, 300 grams) tomatoes (chopped & pureed, or 1 cup canned tomato puree)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (Kashmiri or byadgi)
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala (¼ to ½ teaspoon for later)
- 1½ to 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt (½ teaspoon more to adjust)
- ½ to 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- Few Ginger juliennes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (fine chopped)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream (Optional)
Instructions
Prepare Rajma (or use canned beans)
- Add rajma to a large bowl and rinse them thrice. Soak them uncovered in 4 cups water for at least 6 hours to overnight. Discard the water and rinse them well.
- Transfer them to a stovetop pressure cooker or instant pot. Pour 1½ cups water and pressure cook until soft, for 4 to 5 whistles. Or in the instant pot for 12 to 16 mins, depending on the age of rajma.
- Once cooked they should be soft enough yet hold there shape. If you mash a rajma with your fingers it should get mashed easily.
How to make Rajma Masala
- Heat ghee or oil in a pot. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf. When they begin to sizzle add the onions and green chili.
- Saute on a medium heat until golden. Stir in the ginger garlic and saute for a minute, until aromatic.
- Pour the tomato puree & cook until the onion tomato mixture turns thick, for about 3 min.
- Stir in the spices – red chili powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until the masala begins to smell aromatic.
- Add the rajma along with the stock (rajma cooked water). Pour more hot water as required (about ½ to 1 cup, only as required) to make a gravy. (If using canned beans, drain the liquid from the can and rinse them before adding).
- Mix well and simmer for 10 to 15 mins, until slightly thick. To make the gravy thick, if you want mash a tbsp of the rajma and add back.
- Taste test and add more salt, ¼ teaspoon garam masala if required and crushed kasuri methi. Optionally you may stir in cream and garnish with coriander leaves and ginger juliennes. You can also make a dhaba style tadka garnish or a restaurant style creamy finish from the post.
- Squeeze some lemon juice before serving. Serve rajma with chawal (rice).
Instant Pot Rajma Masala
- Press Saute button and pour ghee to the steel insert. When the ghee melts, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, chopped onions, green chili and salt.
- Saute for about 5 minutes stirring constantly to cook evenly until golden, about to caramelize but not burnt.
- Add ginger garlic & saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add all the spice powders – chili powder, garam masala, turmeric, coriander powder and cumin powder.
- Press cancel. Add rajma and pour 2 cups water. Deglaze to release any bits of food stuck at the bottom.
- Place a trivet and keep the bowl of tomato puree over that. Secure the IP with the lid and pressure cook for 18 mins (for softer beans, if you prefer al dente – 16 mins).
- When the pressure drops, open the IP. Rajma should super soft, yet hold shape. Pour the tomato puree and cook for 2 to 3 mins on saute mode. For a thicker consistency, mash some of the rajma. (If required pour about ½ to ¾ cup water to bring to a runny consistency.)
- Taste test and add more salt, ¼ teaspoon garam masala, cream (optional) and crushed kasuri methi. Press cancel.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and ginger juliennes. Serve rajma with chawal. Drizzle some lemon juice.
Notes
- Different kinds of rajma have different cook times. I have used dark rajma which takes longer to cook. If you use chitra rajma, pressure cook for just 10 mins in Instant pot.
- Saute the onions well until golden to light brown, about to caramelize. This gives a better flavor and texture to the rajma masala. This helps the onions to dissolve in the gravy & gives a thicker taste.
- You will need around 2½ to 3 cups water in total. Using lesser water can undercook your onion tomato masala and you won’t get a smoother gravy at the end. You may still adjust the amount of water to your need and taste.
- The amount of water to use changes if you alter the recipe.
- Beans and legumes that are sold since early 2023 are from the fresher stocks and they get cooked faster compared to those sold bet 2020 to 2022. This means you may need to cut down the pressure cooking times to avoid mushy beans.
- If using Canned beans, make the rajma masala on the stovetop and not in the instant pot. Start with 1 cup hot water to cook the rajma masala. As you cook, add more only if required.
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NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
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About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
Turned out amazing! Made no changes to the recipe except to add a pound of keema. Didn’t have tomatoes so used a quarter cup of tomato paste at the near end. My house smells amazing and waiting to serve it soon. Thank you for another hit
Appreciate your time Sehar. Thank you for sharing back
Hi,
Great recipes. Had a question? 1 KG Rajma and 1 KG Rice can serve how many people, adults? If it’s just Rajma Chawal.
Hi Nakul,
1 kg rajma (uncooked) serves about 20 people and 1 kg rice serves about 12 to 15 people.
Thank you for this great recipe. I’ve never made rajma before and cooked this for my husband (who really dislikes rajma) and my 5 year old and they both loved it ! Great recipe !
That’s nice to know Juj. Thank you
Would this recipe work with canned butter beans and tomato paste? What amount of tomato paste should go in? Does the recipe require any changes? Thanks for your reply
Hi Ann,
Yes you can use two 15 oz cans and 3 to 4 tbsps of double concentrate tomato paste. If using any other kind you may adjust to your taste. You don’t need to make any changes to the recipe but I highly recommend adjusting the spice levels at the last stage. Hope you like it
Love this rajma masala. It’s delicious and I made it in the Instant pot. Not adding the tomatoes right into the IP is a very important tip that worked fantastic. I am glad you said that in the instructions. My rajma is super delicious and they are so tender yet hold their shape.
Happy to read that Reena. Thank you so much for letting me know!
I love all of your recipes! Can i soak the rajma in warm water for 3 hours?
Thanks Shreya. Soak them in boiling hot water for 3 hours and increase the cook time.
Thank you for helping us make this rajma masala. I made this recipe along with my sister for a dinner and it turned out a blast.
So glad to read this! Thank you so much for writing back to let us know!
First of all thank you for sharing this delicious rajma recipe with the world. I have started to appreciate your recipes so much that I recommend many of my friends and family members to follow you. Your recipes are way healthier than a lot of others I have tried, w.r.t oil and cream. They are perfected with the right balance of flavor and spices crucial to desi cooking. I have helped my sister make this rajma masala last evening and she took it to a potluck. Everyone there appreciated and thanked us. Thank you and keep helping us whip up delicious meals!
You made my day! That’s really nice to know it turned out delicious. Thank you for sharing about my recipes.
Was easy to make and turned out tasty
Thanks Rahul
Love all your recipes they have never let me down . So grateful to you .
Thank you so much Alisha.
Thank you. It turned out excellent in the Instant pot. I was using canned beans, so put the tomatoes in at them same time. I also had a large potato to use up and it turned out fantastic. Served it over rice. Will be making this again
That’s nice to know Dan. So glad you like it. Thank you for trying
I love your recipes and this rajma masala turns out perfect every time. Perfectly spiced and mouth melting like the way my mom made it. We love a bit of chaat masala or amchur at the time of serving. This time I tripled the recipe to share with a friend and she loved it too. Thank you for posting such amazing recipes
Happy to read that Ambreen. Thank you so much for sharing back. I love the thought of adding chaat masala or amchur in rajma. I am going to try that
I made this in the Instant pot following the recipe and it turned out great. Thank you Swasthi
You are welcome. Thanks for trying
I soaked the kidney beans overnight and cooked them in a pot of water for 50 minutes. There are not tender yet. How long do they take to become tender? I will be making this dish later tomorrow.
Hi Omi,
Add 1/4 tsp baking soda while boiling the beans or soak them in 1 teaspoon of baking soda overnight. Both these tips help in cooking your rajma faster. Discard the soaked water if using it at the time of soaking. If using while boiling the beans, you may use some of the stock to make the masala. Hope you enjoy the dish
Amazing and delicious Rajma masala. I always made my foods from youtube with a hit or a miss. I discovered your website a few months ago and it was a beautiful experience. Your accuracy in listing down the ingredients is great. So far I have made your chana masala, tandoori roti, butter chicken and this rajma. I am surprised at the consistently wonderful results. Thank you Swasthi and you are an inspiration!
Thank you so much for your kind words. That’s really nice to read your experience. Hope you enjoy more recipes Amita.
Amazing rajma masala! You are my go-to for Indian recipes and this one did not disappoint. Followed the recipe exactly except to add a little tomato paste. Finished with heavy cream & it was great.
Thank you Lourdes. That’s really nice to know you like it.
Really well-made webpage, and of course a really tasty recipe too haha!
Thank you Rohit
I made this with dry beans, and it was easy and delicious. I have been searching for a good rajma recipe and this is very good.
All pantry staples make it economical, plus it’s nutritious.
I served it with plain rice and eggplant potato curry.
Thank you Eve. Glad you like the dish.
Made this exactly and it turned out great. The only change is to add amchur.
Nice to know Reshma, Appreciate your time to let us know how it turned out for you
Love kidney beans! Tried this rajma recipe tonight and it was amazing. An Indian friend gifted me some ground spices that I used in here and the dish was very fragant & delicious. Next time I would add paneer and baby spinach.
I had a pack of chole masala that I used in this recipe and it was great. I eat no onion no garlic food, so doubled the tomatoes. I had to use more spices to cut down the tartness. In the end it was perfect.