Punjabi Rajma Masala (Indian Red Kidney Bean Curry) is one of the most popular curries made in North India. Learn to make it at home using my easy recipe.

Here are some more rajma recipes that you may like – Kashmiri Rajma, Rajma Sundal, and Old Fashioned Kidney Bean Salad. 

About Punjabi Rajma Masala

Punjabi Rajma Masala (Red Kidney Bean Curry) is one of the most popular North Indian curries where rajma (kidney beans) are cooked in a spicy onion tomato based gravy. It is a protein-rich, vegan, and gluten-free curry.

Just like other popular North Indian dishes like Dal Makhani, Chole Masala, Butter Chicken, or Paneer Masala, this curry is also on the menu of almost all Indian restaurants.

A bowl of rajma chawal (steamed rice) with some ghee drizzled on top, served with masala onions and green chutney, is the ultimate comfort food you can enjoy on a lazy Sunday.

The Punjabi-style curry recipe I am sharing in this post is a Family-Owned recipe. Like many other Indian dishes, each house has its own recipe for making it, and with slight variations here and there, it becomes a family recipe that passes from generation to generation.

The beans are soaked and then cooked until tender to make the Punjabi rajma masala recipe. You can cook them in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or an instant pot. I share both methods in the post below.

This recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

You can easily double or triple the recipe. I cooked the rajma in my 3-quart Instant Pot (or a 3-liter stovetop pressure cooker). If you are doubling or tripling it, then use a bigger Instant Pot or pressure cooker. The cooking time will remain the same.

Here are some more Indian curries that you may like: Lauki Kofta Curry, Punjabi Lobia Masala Curry, Methi Matar Malai, and Chicken Rogan Josh.

Do try Saag Paneer and Paneer Korma as well.

Ingredients

Rajma – You get a lot of varieties of rajma such as Chitra rajma, Jammu rajma (Kashmiri rajma), and red rajma. Although many people say that Kashmiri rajma is the best, Chitra rajma is my preferred choice, as it cooks perfectly and gives the curry a creamy melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Try to get dry kidney beans less than 6 months old, as the older ones might take a very long time to cook. 

You can also use canned rajma in place of dry beans. The cooking process will become much faster in this case.

Oil – I like to use mustard oil to make Punjabi rajma masala, which adds a nice rustic flavor to the curry. You can use any cooking oil or ghee (clarified butter) instead.

Whole Spices – The addition of Indian spices like cloves (laung), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), and cinnamon (dalchini) in hot oil adds a nice aroma and flavor to the curry.

You can also add some cumin seeds, bay leaf (tejpatta), and black cardamoms (badi elaichi) for added flavor.

Spice Powders – To spice up this authentic Punjabi Rajma recipe, you will need a few basic spice powders such as coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, dry mango powder (amchoor), and garam masala powder.

Tomato – This recipe uses both chopped fresh tomatoes and canned tomato puree. You can use homemade puree in place of canned puree, but the canned one is concentrated and gives the curry a lovely flavor.

You can also use tomato paste instead of tomato puree; just reduce the amount a little.

Others – You will also need red onions, ginger-garlic paste, salt, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).

How To Make Rajma Curry

Soak The Beans

Soaking the beans is very important. It not only makes cooking faster but also makes it easily digestible.

Rinse 1 cup of dry rajma with water and soak it in 4-5 cups of water for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Rinse the beans once again and drain well.

Cook The Rajma

You can cook the rajma in a traditional pressure cooker or an instant pot. You are looking for cooked beans that are very tender but still hold their shape. They should be easy to mash. If the rajma is not cooked well, the curry will not become creamy, and it will be difficult to digest, too.

Note – If using canned rajma, then skip the process of soaking and cooking the rajmah beans.

Cook The Rajma In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker

Add the soaked rajma to a pressure cooker with 2 teaspoon of salt and 3 cups of water.

Put the lid on the cooker and cook on high heat for one whistle.

Now reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove the pressure cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.

Open the lid and use the rajma to make the curry.

Cook The Rajma In Instant Pot

Add the soaked rajma to the instant pot along with 2 teaspoon of salt and 2 cups of water.

Put the lid on and set the valve to the sealing position.

Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 20 minutes at high pressure.

Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.

Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid of the instant pot.

Make Rajma Masala

Heat 4 tablespoon mustard oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

While the oil is heating, roughly crush

• 2 cloves
• 2 whole green cardamoms
• 1-inch piece of cinnamon stick

in a mortar and pestle.

When the oil is hot, add the crushed whole spices to the pan and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.

Add 1 and ½ cups of finely chopped red onions and cook until they turn light golden brown (8-10 minutes), stirring frequently.

Add 2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and cook until the onions turn dark brown (8-10 minutes). Stir frequently while cooking.

Now add ¾ cup finely chopped tomatoes and 3 tablespoon canned tomato puree and cook for a minute. Mash the tomatoes while cooking with the back of a ladle.

Add

• 3 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 2 teaspoon dry mango powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder

and cook for 10-12 seconds.

Add ½ cup water and cook until the oil starts to separate on the sides of the pan (2-3 minutes).

Now add the cooked rajma along with the water in which it was cooked and reduce the heat to low.

Cook for 10-15 minutes. Slightly press a few rajma with the back of a ladle. This step will make the curry very creamy.

Add more water and salt if required, and bring the curry to a boil.

Add 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pro Tips By Neha

Rajma beans must be very well cooked to ensure the curry turns creamy.

If the beans are not cooked properly, they can also lead to stomach upset.

To make it even more indulgent, you can give the ready curry a tempering of cumin seeds, green chilies (slit into half), and ginger juliennes in ghee or oil.

Adding a tablespoon of ghee (not vegan) at the end of cooking makes the rajma curry even more delicious.

Adding some crushed Kasuri methi at the end of the cooking also enhances the taste of this dish.

Serving Suggestions

Punjabi rajma curry tastes best the next day, so if you have time, cook it a day before serving.

Rajma Chawal (steamed white rice) is a match made in heaven. Serve sliced onions, green chutney, and lemon wedges on the side. To make it a little more indulgent, drizzle some ghee on top before serving.

Rajma masala also tastes great with Jeera Rice, Phulka, Naan, Lachha Paratha, or Plain Tawa Paratha. You can serve some plain yogurt or raita on the side.

Leftover rajma curry can be used to make pulao. You can also dry out the curry and use it to make rolls and wraps.

Storage Suggestions

Punjabi Rajma Masala Curry will last in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days in an air-tight container.

Reheat it in a pan or microwave until nice and warm. Add some water while reheating to adjust the consistency. 

It is also freezer-friendly! You can store rajma in an individual container and freeze it for about 30 days. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it to serve again.