Homestyle Punjabi rajma is a vegan kidney bean curry built on caramelized onions, ginger-garlic, and tomato masala, pressure-cooked until creamy and thick. This pantry-staple dish delivers deep, warming spice in under an hour.
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Rinse and soak 1&½ cups kidney beans (rajma) overnight in 4 to 5 cups of water. In the morning, drain the water in which the rajma was soaked and rinse the beans.Add the rinsed and drained beans to a pressure cooker. Add 3 & ½ cups of fresh water along with 1 teaspoon salt. Close the lid and pressure cook in high heat for 1 to 2 whistles. Once it gets 1-2 whistles, lower the heat to medium-low and let it cook for 30 mins.
Work on the masala while the kidney beans are cooking. To a pan on medium heat add 1 & ½ tablespoon oil. Then add 1 large onion (finely grated or pureed).
Stir often and cook the onions for 7 to 8 minutes until they turn light golden brown in color and have no raw smell. Then add 1&½ ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add 2 medium tomatoes (pureed), and cook the tomatoes for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often until the tomatoes are soft and done. Then add 1 & ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon fennel powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir and cook the spices for 1 to 2 minutes. The masala is now done, you can remove it in a bowl.
Once the 30 minutes are up, let the pressure from the pressure cooker be released naturally. This happens alongside while you make the masala so by the time the masala is done, the rajma has also pressure cooked and the pressure cooker is ready to be opened. Open the pressure cooker, the kidney beans are soft by now.
Now add the prepared masala to the pressure cooker. Stir and add ½ to 1 cup more water at this point. Close the lid and pressure cook again on medium heat for a total of 10 minutes. You don't really want a whistle at this point, so don't put the cooker on high heat.
After 10 minutes, turn off heat and let the pressure release naturally. Now, once the pressure has released, open the cooker, and turn on the heat again on low-medium. Let the rajma simmer on low-medium heat for 15 minutes. Towards the last 5 minutes, add in ¼ teaspoon garam masala.
Tastes test and adjust salt as needed, I added ¼ teaspoon more salt here. You can also add more water as the rajma is simmering to make it thinner and adjust the consistency as needed. This rajma makes quite thick rajma so keep that in mind. It will also continue to thicken as it cools. After simmering for 15 mins, the rajma is now done. Serve hot with rice!
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat on the stovetop over low heat, adding water if needed. Freezes for up to 3 months.
pressure cooker
Yes. Soak beans overnight, then simmer in a pot for 60–90 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the masala halfway through and continue simmering until beans are soft and sauce thickens.
The recipe makes thick rajma by design. Add water during the final 15-minute simmer to thin it, or simmer longer to thicken. It will thicken further as it cools.
Yes. Black beans, pinto beans, or chickpeas work. Adjust cooking time slightly; chickpeas may need 5–10 minutes longer in the pressure cooker.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if needed. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Use regular chili powder or paprika in the same ¼ teaspoon amount. Regular chili powder will make the rajma spicier; paprika adds color with minimal heat.
