Quick Pressure Cooked: Rajma Massla

What is that one advice you will like to give to someone who is attempting to cook indian food? Most of my non indian friends love to eat indian food but they never want to or are too scared to cook indian meals in their kitchen. Reason- it’s complicated. It’s no lengthy and time consuming. Well, to all those people I will opine one thing-please buy a pressure cooker.

Pressure cooker is a simple utensil that cooks food within minutes without compromising the flavours. Today’s recipe- Rajma Massala is also cooked in pressure cooker which takes half less time to traditional style rajma massla. So lets call this recipe Quick Rajma Massla.

So rajma comes from our north India/Punjab cuisine where red kidney beans are the star ingredient. The most conventional way to serve rajma is with white rice or Rajma Chawal as we call it hindi. Honestly there is nothing better then rajma chawal on a gloomy wet day. Scoops of rajma mixed with the rice is the taste I can die for.

Red kidney beans are very hard and would take hours if you are boiling it in open pan but with pressure cooker you can do it in 5-8 minutes. Also I have used only one bowl/utensil that is cooker to make this. So no kadai/wok or extra pan; just throw everything in cooker, wait for whistles and you are good to go.

Ingredients:

1 cup red kidney beans/rajma

3 cups water

2 tablespoon oil

2 medium tomatoes

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 inch ginger, finely chopped

2 green chillies slited

2 cloves/laung

1 bay leaf/tej patta

1/4 teaspoon cumin/jeera

1 teaspoon coriander powder/dhaniya powder

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder/lal mirch

1/4 teaspoon turmeric/haldi

1/4 teaspoon garam massala

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves chopped, for garnish

Method:

Soak rajma beans overnight. Next day drain the water and set the beans aside.

Heat oil in cooker. When oil gets hot add bay leaf, cloves and cumin seeds. Cook for 5 seconds. Turn the flame to low.

Add in it chopped garlic and onion. Cook till onions become pinkish-brown.

Add in chopped tomato, salt, turmeric, coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam massala and green chilli. Mix well.  Add 1/2 cup water. Cook for 1 minute or till you hear your pressure cooker is just about to whistle.

Open the cooker carefully. Add in remaining water and beans. Cook on medium-low flame till 7-8 whistles.

When the pressure is released, open the cooker. Mash some beans with a spoon to get thick consistency.

Garnish with ginger and coriander leaves.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes:

Instead of garam massala you can use rajma massla mix (available in Indian stores as well)

Please feel free to add more red chilli powder as per your taste

The quantity of water will depend on the size of your pressure cooker.