Rajma Recipe | How To Make Punjabi Style Rajma

Rajma is a very popular North preparation of red kidney beans (rajma) with whole spices cooked in a piquant onion-tomato masala curry. Our super easy Punjabi Style rajma recipe is a breeze to cook, and is absolutely delightful to eat, paired with rice. This Rajma recipe, often found in the dhabas of Punjab, is sure to find a permanent place in your weekly meal plans.

The best Rajma recipe results in a spicy and flavourful curry using onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic, infused with whole spices such as black cardamom pod, bay leaf, dry red chillies, cumin seeds, and cinnamon. In addition, this is flavoured with ground spices - turmeric, red chilli, black pepper etc. All of these spices and vegetables are cooked together and made into a ‘bhuna masala’ or a thick spice paste into which soaked and cooked red kidney beans or Rajma are added and cooked further. The result is a piquant and delectably spicy rajma masala enjoyed over steamed or boiled white rice. If this is getting your gustatory juices flowing and you are wondering how to make Rajma, simply follow our step-by-step yummefy-ed Rajma recipe video!
 

Origin of Rajma:

Rajma or red kidney beans (Rajma in English) is grown widely in Northern India, especially in the hills of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and also in parts of Maharashtra, Niligiri hills, Karanataka, and Darjeeling.  It comes as a shock to most Indians that these delicious beans do not have their origin in India. Red kidney beans in fact originated in Peru. Later, Portuguese and Spanish traders also brought the kidney bean to Asia. The Punjabi Style Rajma is likely to have been first made just like other Indian curries with a basic bhuna masala.
 

Many varieties of the fibre and protein-rich Rajma are found in India. In Jammu and Kashmir region, one can find the long-grained deep maroon Rajma varietal, and the same coloured, small red beans too. Another variety found in India is the Chitra Rajma which is white or pink hued and speckled. The light-coloured Rajma from Chakrata region of Uttarakhand is often considered to be the best variety available.
 

Tips on How to Cook Rajma, Punjabi Style:

Red kidney beans or Rajma is a versatile ingredient, and its ability to hold shape after cooking for long hours, makes it adaptable to many preparations. If you are attempting to make our easy rajma recipe, let us look at a few do’s and don’ts which will help you prepare restaurant style Rajma at home.
 

Do I need to soak Rajma overnight?

Yes, soaking rajma has big benefits. Firstly, soaking overnight shortens the cooking process by a great measure. The beans are dried and hence take a long time to cook if this step is skipped. Secondly, it improves the texture of the rajma. And last but not the least, soaking rajma or any other dried beans overnight leeches out the complex sugars in the beans that cause gas and flatulence. The soaking water should always be discarded, and fresh water should be used to cook the rajma while proceeding with the rajma recipe.
 

Working ahead: If you’d like to work ahead while making this dish, you could cook the masala the previous night when you soak the Rajma. Reheat it before adding the cooked rajma.

The spice quotient of this vegetarian dish can be reduced by altering the recipe of Rajma to remove the red chillies and chilli powder altogether or reducing them to suit your palate. The use of canned kidney beans can be an option if you are in a rush – though that is something we like to avoid. Freshly prepared ginger and garlic pastes, and fresh tomato puree are quintessential for the flavour of this dish to stand out. You can use store bought pastes and canned beans, if in a hurry. We strongly recommend you try the all-fresh rajma recipe version at least once.
 

It is said that Rajma, like many other curries, tastes best when consumed the next day. If you plan to eat it the day after you make this simple Rajma recipe, it’s important to remove and discard the whole black cardamom pod and cinnamon stick before storing the prepared dish. Otherwise these two flavours intensify more than what is desirable and create an imbalance of flavours. Remember, these two are very potent and flavourful spices.
 

Varied preparations of Rajma in India:

As the kidney beans moved from state to state their preparation got localized and varied, with each state bringing their own ingredients, flavours, and methods to use this delightful rajma. In the state of Jammu, Rajma Chawal (Rajma and Rice) is also a popular dhaba dish where it is served along with a good helping of ghee or clarified butter. In Jammu and Kashmir, the dish is prepared without onion, tomatoes, or garlic. Instead, the preparation here uses fennel seed powder and ginger root powder or sonth, among other ingredients. Rajma Madra is a regional rajma recipe, a specialty of Himachal Pradesh where fresh yoghurt is added to the Rajma.  Yet another preparation is called Red Beans Masala Poriyal, a recipe from Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu.
 

Serving suggestions for Rajma:

Rajma is often eaten for lunch or Sunday brunch when families get together to spend time with each other. Rajma in northern India, is famously eaten with fresh steamed or boiled rice and most people call the dish Rajma Chawal. It is often eaten with a dollop of ghee which adds a great flavour to this dish. It can sometimes be accompanied by a side of onion rings and a wedge of lemon or a mixed salad – Kachumbar - and Fresh Hari Chutney. When prepared, this Punjabi Rajma recipe calls to be garnished with chopped coriander and occasionally ginger juliennes.
 

Kidney Bean preparations elsewhere in the world:

World over red kidney beans or Rajma are made in different ways. A dish called Chilli Con Carne has its origin in Texas among working Mexican women who used a combination of meat and beans – the original Tex-Mex cuisine. In Spain, a stew called Caparrones is prepared from red kidney beans and Chorizo sausages. Many Mexican dishes also use these beans.
 

After trying and testing many recipes, we feel this is the best Rajma recipe ever. Take a look at our easy method for making restaurant style Rajma recipe below with step by step pictures and video.

And if you liked our Rajma recipe, you may also like to try our:

Red Beans Masala Poriyal
Green Peas Masala
Green Beans Poriyal
Pindi Chole | Pindi Chana
Kala Chana Pulao
Konkani Chana Ghashi
Kulle Chaat | Kuliya
Gobi Masala

Or take a look at all our Vegetarian Recipes right here!