Rajma Pulao - Red Kidney Beans Pilaf

We all love to eat rajma – chawal (rice) so this is same dish but cooked in one pot instead of two separate ones. Cooked first rajma in gravy and then add rice so it soaked all the flavor from rajma masala and end result, one irresistible bowl of happiness.  Rajma is nothing but dark kidney beans which is easily available everywhere. If you are using can one, make sure you washed it nicely and take out all the access sodium in it and put it in masala. If you are using dry one then soaked it water for 8-10 hours and then pressure cook it , cook it till it’s done and take out the extra water  and proceed with the recipe. Both kinds of beans will give you same flavor, can one is less work while dry one is more, so choice is yours. I like spicy so I add chilies and other spices as per my taste but you can adjust it with your family’s spice level.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Basmati or any other good quality rice uncooked , washed and soaked in water for 30 minutes if possible

1 cup of Kidney bean, cooked

Few whole black peppers,

 1 or 2 cinnamon sticks

2 whole green cardamoms

1 bay leaf

1 onion chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp.  green chili paste

Salt as per taste

2 tbsp. or as per taste red chili powder

1 tsp. Turmeric powder

1 tbsp. Garam masala powder

1 tsp. Cumin seeds / Jeera

2 tbsp. Oil

Few leaves of fresh mint

Method:

In a heavy bottom pan, add jeera ,  when it starts to change color, add all the whole spices, after that add onion and cook till its brown. Then add tomato and cook it till its mushy. Then add ginger, garlic, chili paste and all powder masala, cook for a minute or two till its cook .

After that add rajma and rice and enough water to cook the rice, Mix it nicely and add salt. You can cook this in pressure cooker too, its quick rather than pot. Cover and cook till the water is gone and rice is fully cooked, hold back yourself to mix it with spoon, it will break the rice and you spoil it. When its about to done, add fresh mint on top and cover it again.

When is done, take it out and enjoy as it is or with raita, papad or pickle.

Hearth and Soul blog hop: Leap year edition - Zesty South Indian Kitchen