Thursday, May 6, 2010

Rajma

     I am quite a South Indian at heart when it comes to food.  I like North Indian cuisine and do enjoy them occasionally but I am not a fan.  However, my husband is huge on North Indian cuisine.  Rotis, parathas, rajma, dal you name it he likes it.  If there is the aroma of a good garam masala in the curry he is a happy camper.  So I put some rajma together to go with rotis for dinner. I will have him eating out of my hands (figuritively) today and I hope you get someone wound around your fingers with this curry too.  If the way to a man's heart is his stomach this dish is a definite means to that end.

Ingredients:
1. Rajma  - 1 cup (soak overnight)
2. Onions - 2 cups finely chopped
3. Tomato - 2 nos finely chopped (best when blanched and pureed)
4. Ginger  - 2 tspn finely chopped
5. Garlic   - 2 tspn finely chopped
6. Coriander powder - 3/4 Tbspn
7. Chili Powder - 1/2 Tbspn
8. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tspn
9. Cummin Powder - 1/2 tspn
10. Garam Masala - 1 tspn
11. Pepper - 1/4 tspn
12. Nutmeg Powder - 1/4 tspn
13. Shahi Jeera (Black Cummin) - 1/4 tspn (I took whole and then crushed them)
14. Canola Oil - 2 Tbspn
15. Coriander Leaves for garnishing optional

Method:
1. Soak a cup of rajma overnight.  Clean and pressure cook in a cup of water and 1/4 tspn salt
2. Heat oil in a pan saute onions till translucent
3. Add chopped ginger and garlic and saute till the onions are golden brown
4. Add all the powders either mixed together in a little water to make a paste or as is.  (Mixing in water to make a paste helps to prevent the powders from being burned off). I crushed shahi jeera and added along with the nutmeg and garam masala
5. Saute till oil leaves the pan.
6. Add chopped tomatoes (if its not pureed then the skin may float so be sure to either chop them fine or use pureed tomato or canned puree) If canned puree, about 2 Tbspn will suffice
7. Saute well and add the cooked rajma
8. Take a heavy ladle or round bottomed big spoon and mash about 1/4 of the rajma.  I like to do this to thicken the gravy as well as blend in the taste
9. Be sure not to mash too many of the rajma the nice blend a little mashed and some whole enhances taste and appearance
Notes:
1. You could add a dollop of fresh cream and chopped cilantro as garnish
2. Addition butter about a Tbspn before taking the curry off the stove butter blends into soothing and taking the curry a notch above the ordinary.
3. Serve with rotis or rice
Contributor: Sunitha

57 comments:

  1. Ultimate comfort food, lovely post and awesome click always!!!

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  2. Great recipe.Love the colors and the clicks..Too good...

    Love
    Kairali sisters

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  3. I love S.Indian food but have to admit i am like your hubby love N.Indian food too. CHicke pea and Rajma is two legumes which shoes up often on my lunch table when i am having a vegetarin lunch.
    This looks really yumm and i love that there is lot of gravy in the dish.

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  4. Lovely Rajma Curry dear. I will try this mantra, ahem Curry and see if it works--> wrapping my hubby around my little finger, that is!

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  5. really good one with chapati..looks so inviting..lovely presentation too

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  6. Great comfort curry dish. Let's have them all over the steamed rice.

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  7. Comfort food..looks so delicious.
    Beautiful presentationa and clicks too.

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  8. Comfort food..looks so delicious.
    Beautiful presentationa and clicks too.

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  9. Looks so delicious and inviting..absolute comfort food..

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  10. What an amazing color and beautiful pictures.

    Just made some Rajma, only mine was made in the pressure cooker.

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  11. Delicious and nutritious rajma:)..looks awesome..

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  12. I LOVE rajma!!! nice clicks...

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  13. hmmmmmmmmmmm! I love rajma curry its my hot favourite either with roti or chawal.

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  14. Great recipe..the colour of the dish is so nice..

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  15. hy Dear,
    I have tried this earlier and posted it. Yours looks great with tempting click...I just tempted to grab that dear.

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  16. I love rajma-chawal...Been brought up in kashmir and delhi...this is like my comfort food and staple diet!!Lovely pics.

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  17. Wooh!!WHat a tempting pics...lovede the first and last one much....I always liked north indian dishes, but as u said not on a regular dishes...i guess its cos we are so used to the south indian taste..:)....U know rajma is one dish that i failed miserabley (3 times) while trying to prepare!!how much is tomatoes in weight or cups?...

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  18. Same here. My husband likes North-indian recipes :)
    Lovely shots!

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  19. Great recipe.Love the colors and the clicks..Too good..

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  20. Rajma looks delicious creamy and mouthwatering.

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  21. wow my favorite food...so much comforting.

    Great click dear!!!

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  22. Amazingly beautiful pic. I am drooling here as I simply love Rajma with rice :)

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  23. Rajma with some rice is a comforting meal for me.. Your pics make me hungry :)

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  24. Lovely curry and pics! Great recipe too..

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  25. Perfectly comforting and delicious!

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  26. Hi, Had a tough time cooking Rajma sometime ago. the rajma from the Indian store had such a thick skin and refused to cook. must have cooked them for hours after soaking over night. As much as I love this dish esp when it looks like your photos, I have taken a break from it for a while.Smiles..

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  27. u know what my rajma never never comes out well whatsoever! im not sure wht im doing wrong :(

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  28. Love rajma esp. with rotis more than rice... Wonderful click.

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  29. Nutmeg is a complete twist. Clicks are gr8 .... next time I will try your recipe.... with Nutmeg ;)and black cumin

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  30. Absolutely good! It's interesting end very very beautifull... I'm hungry! Ciao. Deborah

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  31. Lovely curry... Nice click and color..

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  32. Looks delicious. Beautiful photos. Your hubby is a lucky guy!

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  33. I keot nodding my head as I read thru the initial lines..my husband adores rajma chawal..the red colour and the gravy as such looks great

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  34. I can't say that I've ever HAD north Indian food...but I'm all for cooking my way to a man's heart! I would love to try this...it's such a beautiful vibrant color.

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  35. Dear Sunitha
    How are you? I am back home in India now and waiting to go out again :-(
    Rajma is one of the very few things for which I could not develop a taste yet, but I am going to cook as my wife loves it and as you said " If the way to a woman's heart is her stomach this dish is a definite means to that end." ha ha

    Have a nice weekend

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  36. Wonderful curry; enjoyed the intro about the hubby; you definitely scored with this one!
    Love the photos, always.

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  37. Sunita,

    Simple rajma curry looks adipoli.

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  38. I am big sucker of South-Indian but love all North Indian gravies for richness! Brilliant rajma color!

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  39. Tis is wat i call comfort food...nytime for garma garam rajma chawal..

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  40. Beautiful clicks sunita, even the dish seems very delicious..

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  41. lovely pics...this rajma is such a crowd-pleaser...no wonder your hubby loves it so much!

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  42. love this curry with roti. excellent pictures

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  43. Rajma is my faav dear well presented with rice..

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  44. Can you tell me the main difference(s) of North and South Indian cuisine? I love Indian food so want to know more about them. I have been cooking Indian food at home but not really sure if they are North or South Indian influenced? I get the feeling it is Southern cos I learn from how my friend cooks and he is South Indian.

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  45. i love that color!

    and yes! I did get a new camera- it's a canon powershot sx120 - so far we love it! it has all the features we were looking for and wasn't too expensive (compared to what cameras can cost)!

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  46. Rajma is cooked often in my home. Lovely pictures.

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  47. do agree with you on this...rajma looks delicious and rich...yummy!!!

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  48. gulmore do join my ongoing green gourmet event. Will love to get your recipes.

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  49. DÉLICIEUX!
    Bravo, j'aime beaucoup cette recette.
    A bientôt.

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  50. Delicious n mouth watering picture.. I love rajma with Roti.. anytime, it's my fav meal.

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  51. The gravy looks so rich and delicious. I simply love the color ....
    Tempting clicks...

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

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  52. Lovely pics! Rajma looks gr8! I cook Rajma quite often....Being a typical North Indian :)

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  53. Looks and sounds like chili, only better! I am sure it will go great with roti.

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  54. i m a big rajma fan...make it quite often...nice clicks dear.

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