Kidney Beans Curry – Rajma Masala

Indian Recipe – Step by step images – How to make Kidney Beans Curry – Rajma Masala

Red Kidney Beans (Rajma Masala) Curry

Ingredients:

Kidney Beans (Rajma) – 1 ½ cups
Onion – 2 (chopped)
Tomatoes -2
Garlic -4 flakes
Ginger – 1tsp.
Curry leaves -10
Red chilli powder -1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida – 1 pinch
Coriander powder -1 tsp.
Garam masala-1tsp.
Chicken masala -1/"tsp.
Mustard seeds -1/2 tsp.
Salt – as per taste.
Coconut milk / Cream – 2 tsp.
Oil-1 tsp.
Coriander Leaves – few

Ingredients for making rajma masasla

Method of Preparation – Kidney Beans Curry – Rajma Masala:

Step 1 – Raw Red Kidney Beans (Rajma):

Take raw red kidney beans in a bow and soak in water for overnight or 5 hours. So that it takes less time to cook.
Red Kidney beans

Step 2: Kidney beans / Rajma preparation:

Cook the soaked rajma in a pressure cooker with salt. Switch off the pressure cooker after 3 whistles. Allow it to cool down to room temperature. When it is cooled down to room temperature, filter the rajma. (Do not throw the rajma water. We need the rajma water in step 7).If you are using cooked rajma from tin (readymade cooked Kidney Beans), Pour the cooked rajma in a bowl. Wash the cooked rajma with more water and keep it for further use.
Boiled Red kidney beans

Step 3 – Tempering and Frying:

Grind the Ginger and garlic flakes in to coarse paste. Now heat 1 tsp. of oil on a nonstick pan, add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add curry leaves, cumin seeds, ginger garlic paste and hing. Fry until the raw flavor of ginger and garlic disappears.
Tempering for rajma masala

Step 4 – Frying Onions:

Add finely chopped/grated onions to the pan, add little salt . Fry it until onions turns golden brown color. If you are using white onion, it takes little more time compare to red onions.
frying onions for rajma curry

Step 5 – Onion Tomato sauce preparation:

When onions are fried, add chopped tomatoes (you can also use canned tomatoes or tomato puree), fry until tomatoes mashed with gravy. At this stage oil separates from the gravy.
Frying tomatos for making gravy

Step 6 – Masala powders mixing.

Now add coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala, chicken masala powder to onion tomato sauce. Mix well until the nice aroma comes out from the mixture.
Spices mixing for rajma masala curry

Step 7 – Mixing Kidney Beans with gravy:

Now add cooked rajma/ kidney beans and mix gently. Cover the lid for two mins. So that spices gets mixed up with the cooked rajma. After 2 mins add drained rajma water from step 2 mix well using ladle. The reason why I am using drained rajma water is, in this way you will not lose any nutrients from beans and it also enhances flavor of the curry. Cook it for next 10 minutes.
Mixing boiled rajma to the gravy

Step 9 – Garnishing – Final Touch:

Now add finely chopped coriander leaves to the hot Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) Curry.
Garnish Rajma curry with coriander leaves

Step 10 – Rajma Curry with Rice:

Hot and spicy Rajma curry is ready to serve with Rice (Chawal)!
Rajma Masala Curry with Rice

Tips for this Recipe Kidney Beans Curry – Rajma Masala – 1) Healthy Low-Fat tip: You can also use curd or milk instead of coconut milk to the gravy.2) To make this curry even more easier, just use readymade Rajma Masala powder instead of adding all the spices and masalas.
3) To cook any kind of beans, it is ideal to soak them overnight in water, then pressure cook until tender, about 2-3 whistles. Save the water in the cooker and add it to the curry.

Ref: http://www.easy-indian-cooking.com/295/kidney-beans-rajma-masala-curry/

Gooseberry Rice

(Nellikai Sadam, Nellikayi puliyogare, Amla Baath) 

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Indian Gooseberry (Nellikai, Amla) is a fruit in south india which is famous for its health benefits. It is very rich in vitamin C and is also good for people with diabetes, cholestrol and cancer. The fruit by itself has a sour and bitter taste. It leaves a nice sweet aftertaste which many people enjoy. Kids enjoy to eat the raw fruit with some salt. It is also stored in salted water for many days. 

Gooseberry Pickle is very common in South India. Some other recipes that can be made with gooseberry aregooseberry chutney, gooseberry pachadi, gooseberry dal and gooseberry rice. Gooseberry rice ia a quick variety rice that can be made on any busy day. It can be taken for lunch box with some potato chips. You can make it with fresh gooseberries or frozen ones.

Ingredients
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Gooseberry - 1 cup (Grated)
Cilantro - 2 springs (Chopped)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt - to taste

For Tempering
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1" piece (chopped)
Red chillies - 2
Green Chillies - 2 (chopped)
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 1 tblsp 

Method
1. Cook the basmati rice, fluff it up with a fork and let it cool. You can also use leftover rice for this.
2. Heat oil in a pan and pop the mustard seeds, urad dal and channa dal.
3. Add the chopped ginger, red chillies, green chillies and curry leaves.
4. Add the grated gooseberry, turmeric powder and salt. Saute for few minutes.
5. Mix in the cooked rice. Toss everything together.
6. Garnish with Cilantro. Let it rest for few minutes before serving for the flavours to be absorbed by the rice.
 

Ref: http://simpleindianrecipes.com/Home/GooseberryRice.aspx

Tindoora Chutney\Dondakaya Pachadi

Ingredients for Tindoora Chutney\Dondakaya Pachadi Recipe

 

Tindoora\Dondakaya(frozen or fresh) - 1 lb
Green chillies - 5 nos
Garlic pods - 2 - 3 nos
Salt - As reqd
Coriander leaves - A bunch
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Black gram(Uzahunnuparippua) - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 2 tsp
Bengal gram(Kadalaparippu) - 1/2 tspa
Fenugreek seeds(Uluva) - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind(Puli) extract - 2 tsp
Water - A tbsp for grinding
Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp

For seasoning:-
Curry leaves - 2 - 3 nos
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) - 1 tsp
Dry red chilly(Kollamulaku) - 1 no
Garlic pod - 1 no

Preparation Method of Tindoora Chutney\Dondakaya Pachadi Recipe
1)Clean and chop the tindoora\Dondakaya and keep aside.

2)Heat a tbsp of oil in a kadai.

3)Add black gram, Bengal gram, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, slit green chillies, crushed garlic cloves and turmeric and saute for a minute.

4)Add tindoora\Dondakaya and salt and stir well and cook it uncovered for 3 mins on high flame and then cover cook for 7 - 8 mins on medium flame until tender.

5)Switch off the flame and let the vegetable cool for a while.

6)Meanwhile extract the tamarind pulp for about 2 tsp.

7)Grind the vegetable with tamarind extract and coriander leaves adding very little water.

8)Add the seasoning of fried cumin seeds, red chillies, crushed garlic clove and curry leaves in 1/2 tbsp oil.

:- I use Indian mixer grinder for this chutney. People in other countries who are using blenders have to grind daals, cumin, methi seeds first in coffee grinder and then blend it along with the vegetable in the blender. Or else the daals will not be blended in the blender.
:- This recipe tastes good with hot rice and ghee.
:- Adjust chillies, tamarind and salt as per your requirement.

:- Tindoora Chutney\Dondakaya Pachadi is ready.