Punjabi Rajma

Rajma is one of my favorite Indian dishes. It is a curried tomato and kidney bean dish that is popular throughout India, particularly in the North. For those unacquainted with the delights of Indian cuisine, it's a more sophisticated version of Southwestern-style chili. When I discovered As Dear as Salt will be hosting Regional Cuisine of India (RCI), featuring Punjab, I decided to submit one of my many rajma recipes.

Previous versions appearing here include Lucknow Rajma with Sautéed Chard and my all-time favorite, Curried Red Kidney Beans with Paneer Cheese

Punjabi Rajma

1 1/2 cups of dried red kidney beans
2 teaspoons of sea salt
2 - 3 tablespoons of sesame oil or olive oil, or a mixture of butter and oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
small handful of green or red chilies, very finely chopped
1 large tomato, finely diced
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
dash of turmeric
juice from one small lemon
3 - 4 tablespoons of parsley, finely chopped

Soak the kidney beans in water overnight. Drain. Put the beans into a large pot, add 5 cups of water and boil until tender - about 1 hour. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, and fry until it starts to brown. Next add the garlic, ginger, and hot chilies. Stir and fry for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, along with the spices and stir and cook until the tomatoes begin to thicken - about 5 - 10 minutes. Add the cooked kidney beans, the lemon juice, a cup or two of the reserved liquid, and roughly half of the parsley. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the liquid is reduced - about 10 - 15 minutes. Serve over a bed of rice and garnish with the remaining parsley.