Dhaba-Style Rajma Masala

• 250 g chitra rajma (dried kidney beans), soaked overnight
• 1 bay leaf (removed after cooking)
• 2-inch cinnamon stick (removed after cooking)
• 1 black cardamom and 3 cloves (removed after cooking)
• water to cover the rajma by 1 inch, plus splashes of hot water for the masala
• a large pinch of salt for boiling + salt to taste, plus a large pinch of black salt
• 3 medium onions, ground to a paste
• 3 medium tomatoes
• 15 garlic cloves
• 2-inch piece ginger for the purée + a handful of ginger julienne to finish
• 2 green chillies for the purée + 2 sliced to finish
• 2 tbsp desi ghee
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 1–2 tbsp ghee, to finish (optional)
• 1 tsp yellow chilli powder (optional)
• a pinch of garam masala
• a handful of fresh coriander, chopped

Method

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1. Soak the rajma 7–8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse and pressure cook with the bay leaf, cinnamon, black cardamom, cloves, a pinch of salt and water 1 inch above: one whistle on high, then 2–3 on medium. Release naturally; remove the whole spices. 0:48
2. Grind the onions to a paste without water. Separately grind the tomatoes, garlic, 2-inch ginger and 2 green chillies to a fine purée. 2:07
3. Heat the ghee and oil in a kadhai on high. Crackle the cumin seeds, add the asafoetida and onion paste and cook, adding splashes of hot water when it sticks, until golden brown. 3:35
4. Lower the heat and add the turmeric, Kashmiri chilli, coriander and cumin powders, amchur and black salt with a splash of hot water. Stir until the fat separates. 4:21
5. Add the tomato purée and salt, cook 2–4 minutes on high, then cover and cook on low for 10–12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the fat separates and the masala darkens. 4:52
6. Add the cooked rajma with its water. Mash a few beans with the ladle and cook on high for 4–5 minutes until semi-thick. Check the salt and lower the heat. 5:32
7. Dry-roast the kasuri methi, crush it in your palms and add it. Heat the extra ghee if using and stir it in with the yellow chilli, ginger julienne, sliced green chillies, garam masala and coriander. Serve with roti or rice. 6:46

Tip. Soak the rajma overnight; the time shown does not include soaking. Skip the finishing ghee for a lighter dish. Red kidney beans work too, and rajma keeps 3 days in the fridge or freezes well.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.