Warm, richly spiced, and built for a satisfying meal, Dhaba Rajma Masala Indian Kidney Bean Curry is a vegan, vegetarian Indian main course made with dry dark red kidney beans soaked for 8 hours or overnight, chopped red onion, and ginger minced in about 320 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 70 minutes
  • Total time: 320 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry dark red kidney beans soaked for 8 hours or overnight
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/2 inch ginger minced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 hot green chili minced or omit to keep it low heat
  • 2 black cardamoms slightly opened or you can use 1 black and 1 green cardamom,
  • 3 whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder (or use 3/4 teaspoon paprika)
  • 2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 to 3 teaspoon garam masala or chole masala powder
  • 2 cups water

To add later:

  • 4 ounces tomato puree (canned purée or use unseasoned tomato sauce/passata. see notes for using fresh tomato)
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt (or blended silken tofu or thick cashew cream or coconut cream)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves ((Kasoori methi))
  • cilantro (for garnish)

Method

  1. Soak your beans if you haven't already and let them sit soaking for overnight or 8 hours then drain.
  2. To the inner pot of the instant pot, add a few drops of oil and spread at the bottom to avoid the beans sticking or scorching at the bottom.
  3. Then add the drained kidney beans, ginger, garlic, onion, chili, cardamom, cloves, cumin, spices, and 2 cups of water.
  4. Mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook on bean mode for 55 minutes to 1 hour. If your beans are old, then pressure cook for 1 hour. For other pressure cookers use “pressure cook” mode. For stove top pressure cookers, add 1/4 cup more water and cook for 55 mins once the pressure indicator is on(pressure has reached).
  5. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 mins then quick release carefully. then open the lid.
  6. Press saute and add the tomato puree, yogurt, 3/4 teaspoon salt and fenugreek leaves and mix well.
  7. Mash some of the beans using your spatula by mashing them on the sides of the instant pot.
  8. Continue to cook until it comes to a good boil. Taste and adjust carefully to add or adjust salt and flavor. Add more heat if needed and salt if needed.
  9. Then switch of saute. Let it sit for another few minutes then garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or flatbread. A bit of vegan butter works amazingly with the rajma.
  10. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for upto 4 days. Freeze for upto 2 months. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.