Rajma Chawal
North Indian comfort food — kidney beans braised in an onion-tomato masala, served over basmati.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 250 g Rajma (red kidney beans)
- 300 g Basmati rice
- 2 Onion
- 3 Tomato
- 30 g Ginger
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1 Green chili
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 2 tsp Ground coriander
- ½ tsp Ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Garam masala
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tbsp Neutral oil
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 Bay leaves (optional)
- 1 tsp Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) (optional)
- 2 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Soak the rajma (kidney beans) in plenty of cold water for 8 hours or overnight — they must be soaked before pressure-cooking.
- Drain and rinse the soaked rajma well.
- Pressure-cook the rajma with enough water to cover well, the turmeric, and a good pinch of salt for 25 minutes after the first whistle.
- Rinse the basmati until the water runs clear. Drain.
- Soak the rice in fresh water 30 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil with a drizzle of oil.
- Tip the drained rice into the boiling water. Cook until the grains are tender. Drain.
- Tip the drained rice back into the pot or a bowl. Cover and rest 10 minutes — the grains finish gently and stop breaking.
- Mince the onions, ginger, garlic. Slit the chili. Chop the tomatoes fine.
- Heat the ghee in a deep, heavy pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaves and let them sizzle until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add onions and cook 12 minutes until deep golden.
- Stir in ginger, garlic, chili. Cook 3 minutes. Add kashmiri chili, coriander, remaining turmeric, and a splash of water. Cook 1 minute.
- Add tomatoes. Cook 8 minutes until thick and the oil splits at the edges.
- Tip in the cooked rajma with its liquid. Mash a quarter for body. Simmer 15 minutes, loosening with a little water if too thick.
- Stir in garam masala. Crush the kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) between your palms over the pot. Taste for salt.
- Fluff the rice with a fork. Spoon rajma over rice. Scatter cilantro on top.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Rajma Chawal
Rajma chawal is one of North India's most beloved comfort meals, the complete plate of red kidney beans braised in masala and served over fluffy basmati rice. This is the full, traditional treatment: the rajma are soaked overnight and pressure-cooked until creamy, an essential step that no shortcut truly replaces, while the rice is soaked, boiled, and drained separately for long, distinct grains. The bean gravy is built on a deeply spiced base of onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and green chili, layered with Kashmiri chili for color, ground coriander, garam masala, and a crush of kasuri methi whose dried-fenugreek aroma is a hallmark of the dish.
The payoff is a thick, rich, slow-simmered gravy with beans soft enough to break under a spoon, spiced warm rather than searingly hot, and finished with fresh cilantro. Eaten together, the savory beans and the fragrant basmati are the definition of home cooking for millions — a Sunday lunch, a lunchbox staple, the meal that tastes like family. It rewards the extra time the soaking and pressure-cooking demand, and it can be made vegan by cooking with oil in place of ghee. This is the version to make when you want rajma done properly rather than in a hurry.
Equipment: pressure_cooker.
Rajma Chawal: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Rajma Chawal?
One serving of Rajma Chawal has about 516 calories, with 18g of protein, 84g of carbs, 13g of fat and 12g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Rajma Chawal gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Rajma Chawal has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Rajma Chawal dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Ghee. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Rajma Chawal take to make?
About 75 minutes start to finish, but only around 49 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Rajma Chawal?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out bay leaves, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), cilantro — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Rajma Chawal make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.