Rajma from Amrikan

"A staple of Punjabi cooking, a pot of rajma transforms kidney beans into the most luxurious ingredient. While a lot of restaurants rely on heavy cream to achieve that effect, it's completely unnecessary. The real trick is patience. You must let the beans simmer properly until they become velvety and tender, and there is no way to rush that process."

- Khushbu Shah

Welcome to our kitchen, where messes are welcome and everyone loves to eat! Once you've made rajma, the logical next step is rajma nachos or, in my opinion, homemade rajma fries. Because once you're on a roll, you just can't stop finding ways to enjoy this stewy bean dish that feels perfect.

"Amrikan (UM-ree-kan): a noun or adjective that Indians use to describe all things American. It's America, with a desi accent." - K.S.

Learn more about how to cook with kids.

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Amrikan

This rajma recipe comes from Amrikan: 125 Recipes from the Indian American Diaspora by Khushbu Shah.

The first large wave of Indian immigrants arrived between the mid-1960s and the late 1970s, and the majority either had professional degrees or came to the United States to puruse them. Yes, a signficant number were STEM professionals - hence the cliché that all Indians are doctors or engineers. These mostly white-collar workers were not interested in restuarant work as a career path, so only a few Indians opened food businesses.

The second wave of Indian immigrants, from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, arrived through chain migration as family members of the first wave. Though many of these immigrants were also white-collar workers, there was a diversity of backgrounds and professions, and mom-and-pop-owned Indian restaurants started to dot the American landscape in major cities. These first two waves of immigrants were heavily from the Indian states of Punjab and Gujarat, so the foundation of Indian food in America is based largely on these regional cuisines,..

Check out this spicy cilantro chutney to go with your wings. Want more Khushbu? We've got rajma nachos and a must-have Indian flatbread.

How to Make Rajma

Ingredients

• beans - we like these Domingo Rojo beans with this rajma recipe, but you can use what you have on hand
• water - you'll need about 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker for a cup of dried beans plus 1 cup of water for the last step of the recipe. It's 2 ½ cups of water to cook dried beans in a slow cooker.
• oil - any neutral oil will work
• onion - this rajma recipe calls for white onion
• tomatoes - Roma tomatoes are preferred but you can use what you've got
• Garam Masala - Diaspora Co's Garam Masala can be made from scratch using Cumin, Fennel, Coriander, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Mace, Nutmeg, Black Cardamom, Tejpatta, Cardamom, Ginger, and Cloves but they save you the trouble with this incredible blend
• coriander - Nandini Coriander smells amazing and is our go-to for coriander. Grind it up in a molcajete and you'll know what we're talking about
• cumin - Jodhana Cumin "is smoky, with the aroma of fresh rain (I'm not kidding!). It pairs perfectly with our coriander, balancing out its bright floral notes with the cumin's heady base notes."
• turmeric - Pragati Turmeric has a bold, beautiful color and flavor to match
• chili powder - Kashmiri chili powder is my favorite chili powder. In a blind taste test, I could pick it out no problem
• cardamom - Baraka Cardamom smells like licorice, mint, and pine
• cinnamon - once the rajma comes to a boil, the taste and smell of Canela Cinnamon is enticing
• bay leaf - these bay laurel leaves are big and beautiful, a dangerous combo
• salt - Surya Salt is a solar-powered, earth-filtered, and hand-pounded salt.

Equipment

• prep bowls
• kitchen scale
• measuring spoons
• measuring cup
• pressure cooker or slow cooker
• kadai or large pot
• molcajete (optional)
• spoon

Cook the Beans

Wash your hands with soap and water. Weigh out the beans needed for the rajma. Rinse them with water and add them to your pressure cooker along with water.

Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and set it to sealing. Follow your pressure cooker's instructions and cook for approximately 45 minutes on high. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Release the pressure and remove the lid.

You can also slow-cook the beans on high for 6 to 7 hours if you're in no rush.

Prep the Onion & Tomatoes

While the beans are in the pressure cooker, prep the onion and tomatoes. Use a child-friendly knife and cutting board to mince the onion and dice the tomatoes. Transfer them to clean bowls.

Cook the Onion in the Kadai

Add the oil to the kadai and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion to the kadai and cook for 3 minutes or until the onion starts to take on color.

Add the Tomatoes

Dump the tomatoes into the kadai and turn the heat down to medium. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. It should look like the oil is starting to separate out and the tomatoes should appear a little jammy.

Add the Spices

Use a molcajete as needed to grind any spices. With a measuring spoon or spice spoon, add the garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf to the kadai. Stir everything to combine the ingredients.

Transfer the Beans to the Kadai

Add the beans and 1 cup of water (or 3 if using canned) to the kadai. Season the rajma with salt. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down so that the rajma simmers, covered, for at least 5 minutes if using dried beans and 15 minutes if using canned beans.

The beans should be very tender with plenty of sauce. It should not be watery. The sauce will thicken as it cools.