Rajma Rasmisa- Red Kidney Bean Masala

Adapted from the cook book " Khazana of Indian Recipes" by Sanjeev Kapoor. In the book, the master chef quotes "In my mother's house, Mothi(Rajma)-Chawal has always been a Sunday lunch treat, week after week, month after month, year after year...!." We ate this with Chapatis'(a kind of naan), and it was truly a feast. He recommends soaking dry rajma in water overnight and pressure cooking it with salt after 24 hours. If you want to prepare it in a jiffy, you can also use canned kidney beans. In this case, drain the water completely and wash it under cold running water 2-3 times. However, we recommend the pressure cooking method as the flavors get absorbed better,making for a tastier dish.

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins(excluding the time to soak rajma)

1 1/2 cups Red Kidney beans(rajma)
2 medium onions, chopped finely
2 medium tomatoes, chopped finely
1 inch fresh ginger piece, minced well
6-8 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 small bay leaves
3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
3 tbsp oil
salt

Masala Powders
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cummin powder
1 tspn garam masala powder
1/2 tsp chilly powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Soak rajma overnight in 5 cups of water(alternately use canned rajma). Boil rajma or pressure cook till it is fully cooked and soft. Heat oil. Add bay leaves and onions. Fry till onions turn pink. Add the ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute. Add the masala powders and stir. Add tomatoes and cook till they are cooked and oil separates the masala. Add boiled rajma along with 3 tbsp of its cooking liquor and cook on a low flame for 15 mins. Add salt and coriander leaves. Mix well. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Eat it with naan or chapatis.

Enjoy!