Rajma/Red Kidney beans in Tomato Gravy

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Rajma or kidney beans are high in starch, protein and dietary fibre and is an excellent source of iron, potassium, selnium, thaiamine, vitamin B6, and folic acid.(Wiki) Rajma-chawal, an absolute comfort food is a part of Punjabi cuisine from North India. Kidney beans are of different types, the once I use are white kidney beans or Jammu rajma. In this recipe, I've used Jammu rajma which looks like this.

Red Kidney Beans in Tomato Gravy or Rajma is my entry to JFI – Tomatoes, hosted by RP of My Workshop. Rajma won't be rajma without all those tomatoes in it!! I use tomatoes every single day, but I didn't find anything picturesque enough to post for JFI. Then I realized I'm running out of time. So here's my rajma which I prepared when I had guests over for lunch last week. They were happy to see a spread different from their own home cuisine, they loved the rajma and they clicked pictures – yay, I got a picture too so my work was easy!

You need:
3 cups of rajma
3 onions
5-6 large tomatoes
2 green chillies
1 ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste
a pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt as per taste
Coriander for garnish

Wash the rajma well and soak overnight. Drain the soaked water and pressure cook the rajma till soft with salt and slices of ginger. While the rajma is cooking, crush onions in a crusher and puree the tomatoes separately. Heat oil in a pan, add the asafoetida and sauté the onions till brownish red in colour. Add the ginger garlic paste and slit green chillies and fry. Then pour the tomato puree, add the red chilli powder and coriander powder. Cook the puree well till the raw smell disappears and the oil separates. Then add the cooked rajma, little by little mashing with the spoon. There are 2 ways now.

A} Add the coriander leaves and check for seasoning. Add the garam masala and stir through well. This is sukhe rajma, which go well with rotis or parathas.

B} For more gravy, add sufficient water and salt. Allow the rajma to boil and simmer a bit. Add the garam masala and coriander leaves for garnish. Serve hot with jeera rice.

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