I’ve been meaning to explore Indian cooking, and I found the perfect recipe for my limited quarantine ingredients! Rajmah is a red kidney bean curry served with rice. Rajmah translates to kidney bean, and jeera translates to cumin. This curry doesn’t include coconut milk, so it is different from what I’m used to cooking. This may have had something to do with the cook time, because the recipe didn’t require me to simmer to curry for an extended period of time. I did boil it for a little extra at the end, but for 10 minutes at most. This recipe is quick and simple!
I modified two different recipes, one from Bluebell Recipes on Youtube, and another from the Kitchn to make this great, aromatic dinner! My modified version accommodates for my lack of garam malasa and cumin seeds.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups rice (I used medium-grain, but basmati would be better)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (flavorless)
- 1 in cinnamon stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 heaping tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 clove of cardamom (1/2 tsp ground cardamom)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 in ginger, minced
- 2 small chilis, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (almost a full can)
- 3 heaping tbsp coriander
- 1 heaping tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- dash of cinnamon
- dash of pepper
- dash of cardamom powder
- 2 16 oz cans kidney beans (or 540ml dry beans soaked overnight)
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock (homemade!)
Directions
- For the rice: Toast spices in vegetable oil for a few minutes, then add rice and 3 cups of water.
- Bring rice to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.
- Cook onion in oil for 7 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger, and chilis. Fry for 2 minutes.
- Add spices and tomatoes. Cook covered for 10 minutes. (Tomatoes will deglaze the pan.)
- Add kidney beans and vegetable stock, and extra water if needed to thin the curry.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, serve, and enjoy!
