Rajma Pulao (Kidney Beans Pilaf)

Ingredients

for cooking rajma

• ½ cup rajma (kidney beans) or 90 to 100 grams rajma
• 2 cups water for pressure cooking
• ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)

whole spices

• 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
• 3 cloves
• 2 to 3 green cardamoms
• 1 black cardamom
• 1 inch cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds – shah jeera also can be added instead of cumin seeds

to be crushed to a paste

• 1 inch ginger or 8 grams ginger
• 6 to 7 garlic cloves or 7 to 8 grams garlic cloves
• 1 or 2 green chilies, chopped

other ingredients

• 3 tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion – thinly sliced or ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions or 60 grams onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
• 1 cup heaped basmati rice or 200 grams basmati rice, soaked in enough water for 30 minutes
• 1.75 to 2 cups water (do add water depending on the quality of basmati rice)
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• salt as required
• 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves for garnish (cilantro leaves)

Steps

Cooking rajma

1. To soak overnight or for 8 to 9 hours, rinse ½ cup rajma a couple of times, then leave it to soak in water.
2. On the following day, throw away the soaking water. Rinse the beans thoroughly again under running water and drain them once more.
3. Put the rinsed beans into a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Add ¼ teaspoon salt if desired.
4. Pressure-cook for 15 to 20 whistles or 12 to 17 minutes. In the source example, the beans were still uncooked in the center after 15 whistles, so they were pressure-cooked for 5 whistles more.
5. The beans must be thoroughly cooked, with no rawness or bite remaining. Their quality will determine the pressure-cooking time.
6. Remove the lid only after the cooker's pressure has settled by itself. Strain the rajma and set it aside.

Soaking rice

1. Before putting the rajma on to cook, rinse 1 heaped cup basmati rice thoroughly until the water is clear of starch.
2. Soak the rice in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes. After 20 to 30 minutes, strain away all its water and set the rice aside.

Preparing ginger+garlic+green chili paste

1. Load the mortar and pestle with ginger and garlic cloves, both roughly chopped, plus chopped green chilies.
2. Crush them into a coarse paste, or make the paste in a small grinder. Set it aside.
3. Slice one medium onion thinly. Chop the coriander leaves as well and set them aside.

Sautéing spices and onions

1. Rinse out the same stovetop pressure cooker used for the beans with water. Return it to the stovetop and add oil.
2. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat and put in the whole spices: tej patta, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamom, cinnamon and cumin seeds.
3. Wait for the spices to crackle.
4. Add the thin onion slices and sauté over low to medium heat, stirring often, until they begin to turn golden.
5. Mix in the crushed ginger, garlic and green chilli paste together with the chopped coriander leaves.
6. Stir and sauté for the few seconds needed to remove the raw ginger-garlic aroma.
7. Put in the cooked rajma beans.
8. Mix in the turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder thoroughly.
9. Add the soaked rice and salt as required.
10. Gently combine the rice and salt with everything else.

Making rajma pulao

1. Pour in 2 cups water; the quantity may range from 1.75 cups to 2 cups of water, according to the quality of the basmati rice.
2. Finish by adding the lemon juice and stirring again.
3. Cover the cooker and pressure-cook the pulao over medium to high heat for 2 to 3 whistles or 8 to 9 minutes.
4. Wait until the pressure has fallen naturally before opening the lid, then gently fluff the pulao.
5. Scatter chopped coriander leaves over the pulao and serve it hot with your choice of raita, salad or pickle.