RAJMA(Kidney Beans)MASALA

This is a simple dish from North India in which Kidney Beans/Rajma are cooked and simmered in a flavourful tomato sauce. This dish is a hit with everyone whenever I serve it at home and also when I make it for friends. I learnt this recipe from a Kashmiri friend around 18 years back and have cooked it the same way since then. 

I usually use finely chopped tomatoes, but in this recipe, I have used tomato puree. This recipe goes very well with Rice varieties like Jeera Rice, Matar Pulao, Flavoured rice, Ghee rice, Masala Rice and with Rotis, Chapatis and Naan too.

Let's get to the recipe right away.

PREP TIME: 10Mins+(soak time 6-8 hrs)          COOK TIME: 30 Mins

TOTAL TIME: 40Mins                                      COURSE:  MAIN 

CUISINE: NORTH INDIAN                              SERVINGS: 4

                                                                             AUTHOR: Rajni Ram

Ingredients:

Rajma(kidney beans) 200 gm approx soaked overnight

Onion 1 large or 2 small chopped

Tomatoes 2 large pureed ( if store-bought 1 cup)

Cinnamon 1 inch stick

Cumin seeds 2 tsp

Green chilli 1

Ginger - Garlic paste 1 tsp

Coriander powder 2 tsp

Fennel powder 1 tsp

Red chilli 2 tsp 

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala 1 tsp

Coriander leaves 2 tsp finely chopped 

Oil  1 tbsp

Directions:

Soak the Rajma overnight. Put it in a pressure cooker along with a stick of Cinnamon and cook for 8 whistles on medium flame. Now put the onions, green chilli and cumin seeds in a blender and blend smooth. In a pan or karahi heat the oil. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and as it splutters, add in the onion paste and fry, add the turmeric powder and ginger-garlic paste and continue stirring. Keep frying until it turns light brown. Keep stirring continuously as it can stick to the pan base. Once you get the brown colour pour in the tomato puree and give it a stir. Cook for a minute and add all the dry spices-coriander powder, fennel powder, red chilli powder, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Now lightly mash the cooked Rajma and pour it into the pan along with the water(in which it cooked). Stir well and bring the dal to a boil. Cook for another 7 minutes the gravy will come together. The consistency should neither be too thick nor too watery. Add the Garam Masala powder now and switch off the flame. Garnish with some finely chopped fresh coriander leaves. The yummy Rajma Masala is ready to serve. I served it with Jeera rice. Indian breads go very well with this dish too.

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Assemble all ingredients. Soak Rajma overnight and pressure cook for 8 whistles and keep ready.

2. Put the chopped onions, green chillies and 1 tsp cumin in a blender and grind to a fine paste.

3. Pour some oil in a pan/karahi and heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and as they splutter add in the onion paste, Fry for 2 mins and add the turmeric powder and ginger-garlic paste. Fry until the mixture turns light brown.

4. Now add the tomato puree, stir and cook for a minute. Add all the dry spice powders except Garam masala powder and cook the mixture on a medium flame for 2 minutes.

5. Squish the cooked Rajma very lightly(with the back of a ladle just once)and add the Rajma along with the water(in which it cooked) to the onion tomato paste.

6. Stir nicely add 1 to 1.5 cups water and salt and allow it to boil on a medium flame for 5-7 minutes. The gravy will come together. Don't dry it up too much. The gravy should neither be too watery nor too dry. Add the garam masala at this stage and put off the stove. The Rajma masala is ready to serve. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves and serve with any of the rice varieties or with Roti, Chapati, Naan etc.

NOTES:

1. If the Rajma is well soaked the cooking time in the pressure cooker will be shorter. 

2. The Rajma splitting in the pressure cooker is a good sign, it means it has cooked through completely and there are no undercooked ones.

3. After pressure cooking always crush one Rajma between your index and thumb finger and check. It should crush easily. If you are having to put pressure, then put it back in the cooker again and cook for a few more whistles.

4. There are many varieties of Rajma, this recipe can be followed with all.

5. If using chopped tomatoes, then chop them really fine and add them in step 4 as mentioned, but cook them longer. You may also have to add little water to cook the tomatoes, as they should turn mushy for a nice gravy. 

6. Alternately while cooking the tomatoes keep mashing them with a masher simultaneously. 

If you tried this recipe and liked it please do comment below. I would love to hear from you.

PAKODE WALI DAL

Last week I made some Pakodas to go with Kadi(More kozhambu). I had some left after lunch, so saved them for dinner. I had made Dal that night and happened to add those Pakodas to Dal, and the result was rather unique and tasty. After some research on the internet for similar recipes, I realized that I couldn't find anything that combined Dal and Pakoda. Hence, I thought I'd share my take on it with you.  In this recipe, deep-fried Onion Pakodas have been dunked in a flavourful Dal. Let's get to the recipe right away.

 PREP TIME: 20 Mins                                         COOK TIME: 15 Mins

 TOTAL TIME: 35 Mins                                      COURSE:  MAIN 

 CUISINE: SOUTH INDIAN                              SERVINGS: 4

                                                                              AUTHOR: Rajni Ram

Ingredients for the Dal:

 

Tuvar Dal(yellow lentils) 1 cup( pressure cooked)

Moong dal 1/2 cup (pressure cooked)

Spring onion greens(optional) finely chopped 1/2 cup

Tomato 1 medium

Green chilli 2 finely chopped

Asafoetida 1/2 tsp

Ginger- garlic paste 1 tsp

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder

Garam masala 1/2 tsp 

Lemon juice 2tsp

Salt as per taste

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Cumin 1 tsp

Oil for tempering

Ingredients for the Pakodas:

Onion 1 large or 2 medium roughly chopped

spring onion greens(optional) 1/2 cup

Besan/ gram flour 1 cup

Rice flour 1 cup

Ajwain/carrom seeds 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida 1 tsp

Green chilli 2 finely chopped

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

water for making batter 1 cup approx.

Oil for frying

 

Directions for Pakodas:

Take the Onions and spring onion greens in a dish and add the Besan and Rice flour followed by all dry masalas and mix well. Do not add water immediately. Start mixing the mixture, the onion will release some moisture, depending on that the water can be added a little at a time. We do not want a runny batter, it should be slightly dry, you should be able to form a lump with it. Now heat some oil in a Karahi for frying the pakodas. When the oil is quite hot, pour about 1 tbsp hot oil into the pakoda batter. This gives crispy pakodas. Mix with a spoon/ladle after adding the hot oil and now start dropping bits of the batter very gently into the oil to make Pakodas. Drain the oil from pakodas on absorbent paper and set aside. 

Directions for dal:

In a pan heat some oil. Add mustard seeds and as they crackle add the cumin seeds, turmeric and green chillies. Fry well. Now add the asafoetida and the finely chopped spring onion greens and saute. After a minute add the chopped tomatoes, salt and all the spice powders, except garam masala. Cook for a few minutes. The tomatoes should turn mushy. Now add in the cooked dals and mix well. Add about 2 cups water to the dal and bring to a boil. Put off the stove and add the lemon juice now. The Dal Tadka is ready. Garnish with some chopped coriander.

To plate, put the dal in a Katori/cup and drop in the pakodas just before you serve, or you can even arrange the pakodas in a dish and pour the hot dal over it. Serve immediately if doing this. Pakode Wali Dal is ready to serve. Enjoy. Bon Appetit.

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Assemble all ingredients. Mix both Dals together and pressure for 5 whistles.

2. In a dish put in the Onions, spring onion greens, green chillies and all the dry spices mentioned under ingredients for pakodas add salt and mix well.

3. Now add water a little at a time to form a little lumpy batter. Heat oil in a karahi and when it is quite hot add 1 tbsp of the oil into the pakoda batter.

4. Start dropping small portions of the pakoda batter into the oil, a few at a time. Drain pakodas on absorbent paper.

5. In a pan heat some oil and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the cumin and green chillies and fry. Now add the spring onion greens and tomatoes and cook for a minute. Add salt and other spices mentioned under dal ingredients, except Garam masala and lemon juice.

6. When the tomatoes get mushy, add the cooked dal and stir well. Now add 2 cups water and bring the dal to a boil. Put off the stove and add the lemon juice and the garam masala and stir. Garnish with coriander leaves. The Dal Tadka is ready.

7. To plate the Pakode Wali Dal, pour the Dal into a bowl and add in the fried Pakodas just before serving. This recipe goes well with and all Indian breads.

NOTES:

1. The Pakodas can be of your choice-Onion/ Spinach.

2. Don't skip the step of adding hot oil to the pakoda batter, it makes the pakodas crisp on the outside and soft inside. Some people add cooking sods for the same, but I recommend this option.

3. The dal too can be of any variety.

4. The spring onion is optional, the dal and pakodas will taste just as fine without them. I love making dal with spring onion when in season as it gives a nice flavour to the dal.

5. These pakodas can be had as a snack too with some tomato sauce or green chutney, so do save some to munch on.

If you made this recipe and liked it please comment below, I would love to hear from you.

SABUT MOONG DAL/ GREEN MOONG DAL

 This is  a wholesome dal for the days you want a simple yet nutritious meal. It is ideal for those days you want to be off masala's and give your taste buds a break. I have kept the dal very simple. With a little planning ahead(soaking the dal), you can get this done in just 30 minutes. After a busy day at work, when you want to spend minimum time in the kitchen, just soak the lentils before you leave home for work.  Once back, 10 minutes in the cooker, 10 minutes for the pressure to settle, and 10 minutes to temper the dal, and it's done. Side by side cook rice and you can have a wholesome dinner. Those 10 minutes for the pressure to settle can be put to good use, brew yourself some tea and just chop an onion and some tomatoes and we are ready to temper the dal. Let's get to some wholesome goodness. 

 PREP TIME: 5Mins +soak time( 4 hrs)                     COOK TIME: 30 Mins

 TOTAL TIME: 35 Mins                                              COURSE:  MAIN 

CUISINE: NORTH INDIAN                                       SERVINGS: 4

                                                                                  AUTHOR: Rajni Ram

Ingredients:

Green Moong(lentils) 1 cup soaked at least 4 hrs

Onion 1 small

Tomatoes 2 pureed

Cinnamon 1 small stick

Cumin 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Amchur/dry mango powder 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder 2 tsp

Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves 2 tsp finely chopped

Oil for tempering

Directions:

Cook Moong dal/lentils with 1 piece Cinnamon stick for 5 whistles. Wait for the pressure to release. While you wait, cut 1 small onion finely and puree 2 tomatoes in the blender. In a karahi heat 2 tsp oil. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle. Put in the onion and fry nicely for a minute. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and continue to fry. When the onion starts turning light brown add in the tomato puree, cook for 1 minute, and add in the cooked Moong dal. Stir well and add salt followed by all the spice powders except garam masala. Simmer for 5 minutes, add in the garam masala and turn off the stove. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. Simple and flavourful Hari Moong ki Dal is ready to serve. Enjoy. Bon Appetit.

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Assemble all ingredients. Soak the Green Moong for 4 hours at least.

2. Pressure cook the dal for 5 whistles.

3. Take oil in a karahi and heat. Add the cumin seeds and allow to splutter. Add the turmeric powder and the chopped onion.

4. Fry nicely, until the onion starts turning slightly brown. Now add in the ginger-garlic paste. Fry for a minute and add the tomato puree. Cook for a minute.

5. Add in the spice powders, except garam masala, followed by the cooked dal.

6. Add one cup of water( add more if required to adjust consistency. Stir well and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.  Add in the garam masala now and switch off the stove. Garnish with coriander leaves and the Green Moong dal is ready to serve. 

It goes well with Roti and Rice varieties.

NOTES:

1. Tomatoes can be chopped and added too instead of pureeing, but in this recipe particularly I prefer to add the pure, as the Green moong is a little bland and the pureed tomatoes impart a little sourness to the dish than chopped and cooked ones. 

2. If you don't give much soak time, you can still make the dal, but with a longer pressure cooking time.

Dal Makhni

Dal Makhni or Dal Makhani is one of the all-time favourite dishes of my family, whenever we are at a North Indian joint. So I have tasted many versions of it and used to make this recipe at one point in time with cream, as most recipes suggest. I found the dal to be heavy when made this way and then I chanced upon the recipe for Dal Makhni that I'm blogging now on a spice packet, I tried it and it tasted almost like the restaurant ones, so have been following this recipe for a long time now. 

Dal Makhni is a dish from Punjab and the main ingredients are black lentils( Black Urad dal whole) Rajma, butter and other spices and condiments. It gets the creamy texture and taste from butter and slow cooking. The longer you cook it on low fire, the tastier. That said, this dal can be made without butter/ cream too. And it tastes all the same. 

While you are here please checkout my other recipes like Choley, Pakode wali Dal, 

Hari Moong Dal, Rajma and more...

Here is the recipe of Dal Makhni for you--

PREP TIME: 10Mins+soak time(8hrs)         COOK TIME: 1 hour

TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 10 Mins                         COURSE:  MAIN 

CUISINE: NORTH INDIAN                         SERVINGS: 4

                                                                        AUTHOR: Rajni Ram

Ingredients:

Black Whole Urad 200 gm ( black lentils) Soaked overnight

Rajma 1 handful (soaked overnight)

Chana dal 1 tbsp.

Garlic 8 pods (finely chopped)

ginger 1-inch piece chopped

Butter 2 tbsp

Tomato 3 medium pureed

Salt as per taste

Red chilli powder 1 tsp( more if you like it spicy)

Dal makhani masala 1.5 tbsp

Kasoori Methi 1 tsp crushed

Directions: Soak the Black Urad, Rajma and Chana dal overnight. Once soaked put them in a pressure cooker with 2 pods of garlic and the ginger and cook for 6 to 8 whistles. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan and heat. Put in the Cinnamon stick and garlic and fry don't brown them. Add in the Kasoori Methi and fry for half a minute. Now add the tomato puree and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the Dal Makhni masala, Red chilli powder, salt and cook until the butter floats. Lightly mash the cooked dals and add them to the tomato mixture. Stir nicely and add 2 cups water and reduce the heat and cook on low fire for about 25 to 30 minutes. Switch off the stove and add another tablespoon of butter and garnish with finely chopped coriander. Creamy Dal Makhni is ready to serve. This Dal goes really well with Parathas, Roti, Jeera rice and other Indian bread. Enjoy and Bon Appetit.

STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:

1. Assemble all ingredients. Soak the dals overnight.

2. Cook the soaked dal in a pressure cooker along with some garlic and the ginger and a piece of cinnamon stick for 8 to 10 whistles.

3. Take some butter in a pan and heat. Put in the Cinnamon stick and garlic and fry for 1/2 a minute. The garlic must not turn brown. Add in the crushed Kasoori Methi and fry for a minute.

4. Now add in the pureed tomatoes followed by salt, red chilli powder and Dal Makhani masala and cook. Cook until the butter floats/ forms a layer on top.

5. Now add the cooked dal, stir nicely and add 2 cups of water and cook on low fire for 25 to 30 minutes.

6. After 30 mins put off the stove and add a tablespoon( or more)of butter to the dal and garnish with chopped coriander.

NOTES:

1. The Chana dal gives the creaminess to this dish, so don't do away with it, at the same time don't put too much of it or the taste may vary.

2. If you don't have Dal Makhni Masala, use a small quantity of garam masala. For the measures that are given above 2 tsp garam masala should be sufficient.

3. Adding Kashmiri red chilli powder will give the dish a good colour. I have added a mix of both regular red chilli powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder, so that spice and colour are balanced. 

If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you.