Kidney bean curry (rajma masala)

Rajma masala (or kidney bean curry) is a traditional Northern Indian vegetarian curry. Traditional versions of this dish often use ghee or cream in the sauce, but this version is plant-based friendly. Typically made with soaking kidney beans overnight, this speedy version utilises canned beans to save time.

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 red onion, roughly chopped, plus extra sliced onion, to serve
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 cm x 3 cm piece ginger, grated
• 1 small green chili, sliced
• 400 g can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 x 400 g cans red kidney beans, drained
• 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• ¼ cup roughly chopped coriander, plus extra to serve
• cooked basmati rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, until the seeds crackle. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until lightly golden. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook for a further minute, or until fragrant.

2. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala and chilli powder and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened. Stir through the red kidney beans with 1-2 cups of water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Uncover and mash some of the softened beans, then simmer for a further 10 minutes to thicken. Stir through the dried fenugreek leaves and roughly chopped coriander, then remove from the heat. Garnish the rajma masala with sliced red onion, extra coriander and serve with basmati rice.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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Watch the full episode here

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