North Indian temple kidney bean stew simmered in a rich, slow-reduced tomato, ginger, and cumin gravy without onions or garlic.
Lunch · 15 min prep · 40 min cook · serves 4 Newly added
Ingredients
- 1 cup rajma (kidney bean) , red kidney beans, soaked overnight in water
- 3 tomato , medium, pureed smooth
- 1 tbsp ginger , finely grated
- 2 green chili , slit lengthwise
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 4 cups water
- 1.5 tsp salt
Preparation
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Drain the soaked kidney beans and place in a pressure cooker with 4 cups of fresh water and 1 teaspoon of salt.
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Cook for 6 to 7 whistles (about 25 minutes) until the beans are completely soft and yield easily when pressed between two fingers.
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Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
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Add the cumin seeds, grated ginger, and slit green chilies; sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
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Add the hing and pureed tomatoes; cook over medium flame for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato water evaporates and the ghee separates from the paste.
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Stir in the coriander powder, turmeric powder, and remaining salt; fry the paste for 1 minute.
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Add the cooked kidney beans along with their cooking broth to the pan.
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Using the back of a wooden spoon, mash a few beans against the side of the pot to naturally thicken the gravy.
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Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until rich and cohesive.
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Stir in the garam masala, turn off the heat, and let rest covered for 5 minutes before serving with steamed basmati rice.
In the tradition
While domestic Punjabi preparations rely on heavy onion pastes to achieve gravy viscosity, the Vaishnava temple technique relies on reducing ripe pureed tomatoes down in cow’s ghee until concentrated, then mechanically breaking down cooked bean starches to build a velvety emulsion.
Sources & further reading
- Great Vegetarian Dishes , Kurma Dasa (Page 170, Red Kidney Bean Stew (Rajma))
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books are shared as further reading, not as prescriptions.