Rajma Sundal Recipe
Rajma Sundal is a South Indian dish in which cooked rajma is stir-fried with simple spices, then mixed with freshly grated coconut. It is perfect as a side dish with Indian-style meals, or you can make it as neivedyam for pooja. Here is how to make it.
Here are some more of my favorite rajma recipes: Punjabi Rajma Masala, Kashmiri Rajma, and Old Fashioned Kidney Beans Salad.
In Central and South India, Haldi Kumkum is a tradition in which people invite married women to exchange turmeric and vermillion. In Bangalore, my friends used to invite me to the ritual, and there was always a Sundal of some kind for the Prashad.
I loved the dish’s simplicity, and slowly, Sundal became part of my food plan. On days I want to eat something light, I make a sundal.
Now, while sundal can be made with many different beans, this Rajma Sundal is what I cook most often.
About Rajma Sundal
Rajma Sundal is a South Indian dish in which rajma (red kidney beans) are stir-fried with a simple tempering and then mixed with grated fresh coconut.
It is an everyday dish prepared in almost all South Indian households as a snack or side dish. It is also popularly served during the Navratri and Ganesh Chaturthi festivals as Neivedyam (prashad).
My recipe serves 4 people, but if you want to make it for a larger group, you can easily scale it up.
I used my 3-quart Instant Pot to cook the rajma. You can also use a 3-liter stovetop pressure cooker.
You can easily meal prep this recipe. I cook the kidney beans and grate the coconut in advance. Cooked rajma stays good in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, and grated coconut can be frozen for 3-4 months. Now whenever I feel like eating the sundal, I can make it in just 5 minutes.
Ingredients
Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) – I use chitra rajma to make sundal because it cooks quickly and evenly, but you can use any variety of rajma to make rajma sundal. Recently, I have started using red rajma from Walmart, which I find easy to cook. Do try.
To make a variation, you can replace rajma with chickpeas (chole), white peas (safed matar), fresh peanuts, black chickpeas (kala chana), green gram, lobia, or corn.
Coconut – You will need grated fresh coconut. To save time, buy already grated coconut. You can find it in the freezer section of an Indian grocery store.
Others – To make this sundal recipe, you will also need oil, asafetida (hing), brown mustard seeds, white urad dal, curry leaves, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), freshly squeezed lime juice, and dry red chilies
To make it gluten-free, skip adding asafetida. All the other ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free.
You can add chopped green chilies if you like the rajma sundal to be spicy.
How To Make Rajma Sundal
Cook The Rajma
Rinse 1 cup of dried rajma with water and soak it in 4 cups of water for 5-6 hours.
Drain the water and rinse the rajma once again.
Add the soaked rajma into the inner pot of a 3-quart instant pot along with 2 teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water. Mix gently using a ladle.
Now, secure the lid of the Instant Pot and move the valve to the sealing position.
Press the PRESSURE COOK button, then set the timer to 12 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take 10-12 minutes to build pressure before its timer starts.
Once the timer goes off, you will hear a beep. Let the pressure in the Instant Pot release for 10 minutes without disturbing it.
Now move the valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. I always move the valve using a spoon to prevent my fingers from burning from residual steam.
Now you can open the lid.
Note – To cook kidney beans in a stovetop pressure cooker, add soaked rajma, salt, and water. Put the cooker on high heat and cook until 1 whistle. Then, reduce the heat to low and cook for another 12 minutes. Transfer the cooker to the kitchen counter and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid.
Do not overcook; otherwise, the rajma will become mushy. We need rajma that is cooked well but still retains its shape.
Now, drain the water and keep the cooked rajma aside.
Stir Fry The Rajma
Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot, add the following ingredients to the pan to fry.
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoon white urad dal
- 2-3 dry red chilies
- 10-12 curry leaves
Fry until the dal turns golden brown. Stir frequently with a ladle.
Add the cooked rajma to the pan and mix it well.
Now remove the pan from the heat.
Finally, add the following ingredients to the pan and mix them with a ladle until combined.
- ¼ cup grated fresh coconut
- 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Serve rajma sundal hot.
Storage Suggestions
Rajma sundal can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat in a pan or microwave until hot before serving.
You can also freeze it for upto a month, but the texture of the coconut might change once it is thawed.
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Rajma Sundal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup rajma (red kidney beans)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons white urad dal
- 2-3 dry red chilies
- 10-12 curry leaves
- ¼ cup grated fresh coconut
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
Cook The Rajma
- Wash the rajma and soak it in 4 cups of water for 5-6 hours.
- Drain the water and rewash the rajma.
- Add the soaked rajma to an instant pot along with salt and 3 cups of water.
- Close the instant pot lid and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 12 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.
- Note – To cook the rajma in a traditional pressure cooker, cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid.
- Do not overcook; otherwise, rajma will become mushy.
- Drain the rajma and keep it aside.
Stir Fry The Rajma
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add asafetida, brown mustard seeds, white urad dal, dry red chilies, and curry leaves, and fry until the dal turns golden brown. Stir frequently.
- Add cooked rajma and mix well.
- Remove the pan from heat.
- Add coconut, lime juice, and cilantro and mix well.
- Serve hot.
My neighbour’s dropped off some just now
With some fruit and coconut milk
A desert
From southern India
So delicious 😋