Rajma-Chawal with Kachumbar ( Indian style Beans and Rice)

Rajma-Chawal (Indian style beans curry and rice)  is a wholesome, filling and delicious meal. Rajma is not one of the commonly found dishes in Indian restaurants, but hugely popular as a Sunday meal in North India and in my home a weeknights. Every household in India has their way of making and no two taste the same even though the ingredients are almost the same. This is a simple and easy to make version. Traditional Rajma is made with red or pink kidney beans and is easily adapted. Switch the red kidney beans for black beans, white Italian beans, pinto beans for variety, they all make great choices and taste just as good.

I like to serve kachumbar with beans to balance the spiciness and add some raw fresh taste to the meal. Kachumbar is the simplest form of salad, very similar to pico de gallo, its chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro you could also add radish and red peppers.

Like most families, our weeknights has always been a juggling act, rushed between after school snack/homework/sports or music practice/dinner. So for dinner I always make my weekly list of staples and have a lot of stuff prepped over the weekend. Everybody has an input on what they want to eat. The only criteria. the meal has to be healthy, nutritionally balanced, and substantial. This meal makes the cut and is always on request. I also add some fish or grilled chicken for extra protein and veggies.

  

Here’s the recipe.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried red or pink kidney beans or 2 can of organic beans will work (soaked overnight and cook with 1 bay leaf in a pressure cooker with 3 cups of water till soft about 20 minutes or in a large stock pot with 6-7 cups of water simmered for 40-45 minutes till soft) **also see pressure cooker for instructions to cook beans. Cooking time of beans varies due to age of the beans. Please check for doneness frequently. 
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or avocado, or any neutral oil will do
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 fat cloves garlic minced
• 11/2 inch piece fresh ginger finely chopped
• 3 large tomatoes chopped
• 1/2- 1 teaspoon cayenne chilli powder ( use your heat mileage)
• 1/2 tsp mild unsmoked sweet paprika for color
• Sea salt to taste
• lemon juice for extra piquancy
• 1 tsp garam masala ( see quick recipe below)

• GARAM MASALA
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 cloves
• 3-4 green cardamom
• 1/2 inch stick cinnamon
• 5-6 black peppercorns
• Blend to fine powder in a coffee blender. Use as needed. Save the extra in an airtight jar. It will last for a while.
• **Do not use a coffee blender that you would regularly use to grind coffee Once used for spices it can’t  be used for coffee, the flavors take over. 

 

Kachumbar

Chop a small red onion, cucumber, tomatoes. Toss with a little salt, cilantro and lemon juice. Serve as is or add a few tablespoons of plain yogurt, now its a raita.

Method for the beans

Cook the beans as suggested in the ingredients list.

In a large enough sauce pan, warm the oil and add chopped onions until soft. Add garlic and ginger and cook till fragrant. Next add the chopped tomatoes, chillies powder and paprika. Cook for 2-3 minutes till slightly reduced and the mass is pulpy. Add the cooked beans and garam masala and mix well. Add water if needed, it should be a thick soup like consistency to eat with rice. Cook for another 5 minutes. Check to taste the balance. Add lemon juice for added piquancy if needed. Serve garnished with cilantro and rice or Indian breads of your choice (white/ brown/red), kachumbar salad and/or plain yogurt.