Rajma - red kidney bean curry...

If you're reading Anula's Kitchen for a while now, you know that I absolutely love Indian cuisine, so when I came across this new (to me) recipe I just couldn't leave it. Also, Indian cuisine is absolutely perfect for those who want to avoid meat/dairy in their diet, it is also one of those cuisines that is easily veganised altogether - eggs are almost non existent and it's very easy to swap dairy for it's plant based alternatives.

I have never before came across red kidney beans in a curry - always thought more of lentils, chickpeas and vegetables like cauliflower or aubergine. Rajma turned out to be very tasty and quite a filling meal on its own, one that I'll make again and again in the future! I read that traditionally, it should be served with rice, but as I already had some naan bread at home, I ate it with few pieces of that and a side of cauliflower steaks 

How to make it...

Ingredients:

- 2-3 tablespoons neutral cooking oil, like rapeseed or canola
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 1-2 green bird's eye chili, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes and juices, or passata
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala + 1/2 teaspoon to garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder) (optional)
- 2 x 540 ml cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock 
- hot water, as required
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- fresh cilantro, chopped, to garnish

Method:

- To make the rajma, heat the oil in a heavy based pot and add the diced onions. 

- Fry over a medium high heat, until the onions are soft and start going golden around the edges, 7 to 8 minutes. 

- Add the garlic, ginger and chilies, and fry together until fragrant, another minute. 

- Add the crushed tomatoes, ground coriander, cumin, garam masala and amchur, if using. 

- Season with a little salt. Turn down the heat and cook, stirring every so often until the masala starts reducing, comes together in a sticky mass and the oil starts separating from it, 7 to 10 minutes. 

- Add the kidney beans and the stock. 

- Simmer for a few more minutes, until the beans are heated through. 

- Add a little more hot water if the sauce is too thick. 

- Stir in the reserved garam masala and cilantro, taste, and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if needed. 

Smacznego!


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