Rajma Chawal, also known as Rajma with a rice bowl, is the Indian version of beans and rice. Beans are loved by Indians and rice and it is a very common dish, although it is not eaten every day as in Brazil. The bean used in India is red. This Rajma Chawal- recipe from India is mostly found in the north of the country. With spicy flavours, it is super tasty and nutritious!
As you can imagine, Indian food is spicy and enriched with many different spices. After all, it is no wonder that several Europeans crossed half a world by ship to come to India. With this recipe, it would be no different. Spicy, fragrant, but very simple to make, and with ingredients easy to find in the market.
NOTE – Onions and tomatoes in India are much smaller in size than those in Brazil or America , so I added pictures so you can see the size we use and can adapt to the recipe.
Ingredients you need ( for 4 people)
- 4 or 4 Italian tomatoes
- 2 or 3 red onions
- Ginger Garlic Paste
- Cumin Seeds
- Salt
- Cooking oil
- Red beans 400 gms
- Red Chilli powder
How to make Rajma Chawal, or Rajma Rice, step by step:
Step 1: Soak the red beans the night before. For 4 people here in India, we use about 400 grams.
Step 2: Chop into small pieces and blend 3 red onions in a blender or mixer until it forms a paste.
Step 3: Chop the Italian tomatoes into large pieces and blend them in a blender.
Step 4: Cook the beans in the pressure cooker with just water enough to sink the beans. Do not put excess water as then it will overflow.
Step 5: In another pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add ginger-garlic paste to it.
Step 6: Add half a teaspoon of cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the onion paste and fry until it turns golden brown on low heat.
Step 7: Add chilli powder according to your taste, a teaspoon of coriander powder and salt to taste. I suggest that you add the chilli powder little by little and taste it, so you don’t run the risk of making it too spicy.
Step 8: Stir for a few minutes. The mixture will become a red paste, and it will become darker as the tomatoes cook.
If you have added enough oil, eventually the oil will come off the tomato paste. This is when it will be ready. I use very little oil to cook, so with me, it doesn’t happen. In that case, I just stir and wait for a few minutes until I see that the paste is well cooked and fragrant.
Step 9: Add this cooked tomato onion paste to the pressure cooker with the beans and add a little water.
Step 10: Let it thicken over high heat for a few minutes and stir well.
Just serve it with rice. There are several types of rice in India. Rice is cooked only in water, without sautéing, and without salt or oil. But do as you prefer! If you don’t add spices to the rice, make the beans a little more salty and spicy. Thus, it will not be tasteless when eating.
Hope you like it. Tell us if you actually tried this recipe and check out our other Indian recipes.
If you like Rajma Chawal – recipe from India, do pin the image below.
Based on 2 Review(s)
