Enjoy this authentic recipe for Punjabi rajma masala! This recipe always brings back sweet childhood memories for me. Piping hot Rajma served over steamed basmati rice used to be (and still is!) at the top of my comfort foods list. And my mom would make this for lunch on my birthday…. every year 🙂
My mom makes Rajma in a 2-step process. She pressure cooks the soaked beans with salt and turmeric. Simultaneously, she prepares an onion-tomato gravy in another pan and seasons it with ground Indian spices. Then, she simmers the cooked beans with this gravy for a few minutes. I LOVE my mom’s recipe, but I wanted to simplify it and make it a one-step process. So, I tweaked it a bit and ended up with this one-pot recipe. I hope you enjoy this simplified version!
What is Rajma?
Rajma is the Hindi word for kidney Beans. Rajma masala is a vegetarian curry from the Indian subcontinent, made with red kidney beans in an onion-tomato gravy with warm Indian spices. It is usually served with rice.
Why You Will Love this Recipe
Rajma, or kidney beans, are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. They are nutritious, inexpensive and widely available, which is why they are a staple food in so many cultures around the world. This Rajma recipe pairs beautifully with steamed white basmati rice or brown rice, which makes this one tasty vegan and gluten-free meal. This recipe is a simplified version in which I cook the beans and gravy, all in the same pot. You also have the option to cook rice in the same pot as the beans, using the pot-in-pot method, which made this a perfect weeknight dinner option!
Looking for more recipes like this, check out: Top 10 Indian Vegetarian Recipes for your Instant Pot
How to Make Rajma in Instant Pot
This easy and satisfying Rajma masala can be made with dried beans, fresh aromatics, and commonly used Indian spices. Let’s take a look at the ingredients first.
Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions
Kidney Beans: In this recipe, I use dried dark kidney beans. You can also use other varieties like Rajma Chitra, Jammu Rajma. If using canned kidney beans, you will need two 15-ounce cans. Aromatics: Use any color of onions you have on hand. Finely chop them using a chopper or food processor for convenience. I use fresh ginger garlic paste for the best flavor. Alternatively, you can use frozen ginger and garlic paste. I add serrano chilies for a little heat but feel free to skip them if you like. Tomatoes: I use 2 Roma or plum tomatoes, but you can also use 1 cup of canned crushed tomatoes instead. Spices: This recipe uses common Indian spices like garam masala, coriander, cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder, and turmeric. Feel free to substitute the red chili powder with paprika for a mild spice level. Garnish: Fresh cilantro leaves add a vibrant contrast to this curry, giving it a pop of color and freshness. Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Directions
If using dry kidney beans, rinse and soak them overnight, or at least for 8 hours. Rinse and drain them before using. If using canned beans, rinse them till water runs clear and drain them.
Turn the Instant Pot on SAUTE mode, adjust to more. Wait till the display reads ‘hot’. Add oil or ghee and cumin seeds. (pic 1) When the cumin seeds begin to sizzle (a few seconds), add chopped onions, green chilies and crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes, till onions soften. (pic 2, 3 & 4)
Add crushed tomatoes, salt, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander, cayenne and paprika. Saute for 1 minute. (pic 5) Add drained and rinsed kidney beans to the pot. Add fresh water and stir to deglaze the pot. Scrape off any brown bits stuck at the bottom. Cancel Saute. (pic 6) Close the lid and set the valve to sealing position. Cook on Bean/Chili or Pressure Cook mode for 30 minutes. (pic 7). If using canned kidney beans, reduce this time to 5 minutes followed by a natural pressure release. After the cooking time is done, wait for the pressure to release naturally (NPR). (pic 8)
Open the lid after the pin drops and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm with white or brown basmati rice.
Tip for a Creamy and Thick Curry: To thicken the consistency of the gravy, I mash a ladle-full of beans with a fork and add them back to the curry. This not only thickens the curry but also makes it more creamy in texture.
How to Make Rajma Chawal
In northern India, the pairing of beans and rice is called Rajma Chawal, where Rajma refers to any variety of kidney beans, and, Chawal means rice in Hindi. You can cook Rajma Chawal in the same pot using the Pot-in-Pot technique. There are two options for that: Dried soaked Kidney Beans Curry with Brown basmati rice: Assemble beans curry in the cooking pot. Now combine brown rice, water, salt, and oil in any oven-safe cooking bowl that fits easily in the Instant Pot. Place a trivet in the cooking pot and place the rice bowl on top of that. Close the lid and pressure cook for 30 mins followed by natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Canned kidney beans with white basmati rice: Assemble curry in the main pot. Combine white basmati rice with water, salt, and oil in an oven-safe bowl. Place trivet in the main pot, now place the rice bowl on top. Pressure cook for 6 minutes on high pressure, followed by natural pressure release for 10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve rajma with a vegetable side dish, a starch, along with a creamy Indian yogurt dip called raita, and enjoy a satisfying Indian Vegetarian Meal. Here’s what to serve with rajma:
Cumin Rice, or Brown basmati rice Aloo Gobi, Bhindi Masala, or Green Beans and Carrot Cucumber Raita, Avocado Raita, or Boondi Raita
Rajma Recipe Variations
Rajma with Unsoaked Beans: If you forgot to soak the beans or want to skip the overnight soaking process, Simply rinse and drain the dried beans. Add them in the recipe as per instructions and set a cooking time of 55 mins on bean/Chili or Pressure Cook mode.
Note: Add an extra ½ cup of water as the dried beans will soak up more water to cook.
Using Canned Kidney Beans: For weeknights, using canned red kidney beans and crushed tomatoes in the same recipe makes this comfort meal possible in 30 minutes.
Simply rinse and drain the canned beans and add to the pot. Follow the remaining directions and set a 6 minute pressure cooking time on Manual/Pressure cook mode. Cook white basmati or jasmine rice PIP at the same time and enjoy a complete meal!
Cook Rajma without onion and garlic: You can skip the onions and garlic in this recipe.
Recipe Tips & Notes
Dry Beans: I prefer to use soaked dry Rajma in this recipe. It makes for the tastiest curry with beans that are creamy on the inside. Dried soaked beans are also relatively easy to digest. Unsoaked Beans: If using unsoaked beans, simply rinse and drain dried beans and set a cooking time of 55-60 mins on bean/Chili or Pressure Cook mode. Add an extra cup of water as the dried beans will soak up more water to cook. Canned Beans: If short on time, this recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes using canned Red Kidney beans instead. Simply rinse and drain them and add following recipe directions. Varying Cook times: The actual cook time varies depending on the size and variety of kidney beans used. For larger varieties (around ¼ inch), increase pressure-cooking time to 40 minutes. Creamy Thick ‘Punjabi-style’ Curry: To thicken the consistency of the gravy, I mash a ladle-full of beans with a fork and add them back to the curry. Pot-in-Pot Meal: If using canned kidney beans, you can cook white basmati rice with it using the PIP method. Similarly, you can cook brown rice along with dried soaked beans, however, the texture of rice will be softer than usual due to the extra few minutes of cooking time.
More Indian Beans Recipes
These recipes are part of the Instant Pot Bean Recipes Collection.
📖 Recipe
This recipe was originally posted in 2017 but was recently updated with new photos, helpful information, tips, and step-by-step photos.
