Rajma Chawal Recipe ~ Step by Step

There are certainly some recipes that kindle your memories. Rajma has always been that for me. Be it my Gujju friend, whose Mom used to make delicious Rajma or my neighbour who used to make either Rajma or Channa with Chawal. Memories of that taste will forever remain fresh. Maybe I have tried it or not, yet the taste remains fresh and the quest till on.

Infact so much so that I have got in touch with both those friends of mine and verified the recipe. Yet the memory is always strong. Maybe it's got to do with what I call the first time experience. Anyway that happens for the first remains so fresh and unsurpassed in my minds right, same way the taste of Rajma chawal will always be fresh.

Not to say this didn't turn out great. It was so delicious. Maybe I should have remembered to make the rice in rice cooker than the pressure cooker. But then I was running for the Mela and couldn't take a chance.

Rajma Chawal 

Ingredients Needed

Rajma - 1 cup
Bay leaf - 2 small
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil few drops

For the paste:
Onion - 1 big
Garlic - 2 big cloves
Ginger - 1/2" piece
Green chillies - 2 long
Coriander - few leaves

For the gravy

Roasted Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Butter - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Tomato, puree - 1 big
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

How to make Rajma

Soak a cup of beans over night. Change water couple of times. In a pressure cook, transfer the beans, add twice the amount of water along with salt, bay leaf and a few drops of oil. Pressure cook for 4 -5 whistles or till the beans are soft. Allow for the pressure to subside.

Meanwhile for the gravy, grind to a coarse paste all the ingredients for the paste, except tomato.

Wash and puree the tomato.

Heat a non stick pan, add butter and oil, then add cumin powder, saute for a min, then add the ground paste. Saute till the oil leaves the masala

Next add the tomato puree, salt and turmeric. Simmer and let cook it cook for few mins.

Now add Coriander powder, red chilli powder. After few mins, add the cooked beans and combine everything well. Add water and bring to boil. When the gravy thickens, finally add the garam masala and remove.

It may take about 10 mins or so for the gravy to thicken

 

For the Rice:

Rice - 1 cup

Jeera - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Salt to taste

Ghee - 1/2 tsp

Water - 2 cups

Wash and soak the rice for 10 mins. 

In a pressure cooker take all the ingredients and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Sending this to my 30 Minutes Meal Mela