I have prepared the red kidney beans so many times but this one had to be different. With a good amount of garlic pumped in, the gravy was sumptuous and went well with the Sunday lunch. Inspiration? from a local restaurant nearby. The usual red kidney beans was served with a garlic kick and if that wasn’t enough, they had added whole garlic cloves which just melted with the kidney beans and tasted heavenly! Since then my mind was buzzing to recreate the dish at home. What a way to enjoy the Sunday lunch with kidney beans cooked in a rich garlic gravy…Also called Rajma, this is a popular north Indian dish that can be prepared within a short span of time and goes well with rice/rotis. The recipe can be tweaked in a number of ways to suit your palette.
Kidney beans in a rich garlic sauce
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Red kidney beans simmered in a rich, spicy Indian gravy infused with a generous amount of garlic, creating a sumptuous dish perfect for pairing with rice or rotis.
Ingredients
- 1 cup red kidney beans, soaked overnight in water
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 medium tomatoes, pureed
- 8-9 garlic cloves (crush and chop 4, retain the rest whole)
- 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Pressure cook the soaked kidney beans with 4 cups of water until they are soft and melt in your mouth. Retain the water used for cooking the beans.
- In a pan, heat the ghee over medium heat. Once melted, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
- Add the chopped onions and sauté until they are golden brown.
- Add the crushed and chopped garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté for another 2 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Stir in the tomato puree and cook for 5-7 minutes until the oil starts to separate from the mixture.
- Add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked kidney beans along with the retained water. Stir well to combine.
- Add the whole garlic cloves and garam masala. Let the mixture simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the gravy thickens and the flavors meld together.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.
Notes
For a creamier texture, mash some of the beans while simmering. Adjust the spice level by adding more or less garam masala. This dish pairs excellently with steamed basmati rice or warm rotis. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 6 grams
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 8 grams
- Carbohydrates: 40 grams
- Fiber: 10 grams
- Protein: 12 grams
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the recipe use both chopped garlic and whole cloves?
The crushed and chopped garlic (4 cloves) goes in early and builds the base flavor of the gravy — it cooks down and melds into the sauce. The whole cloves (4-5 more) go in later during the simmer and soften to a mellow, almost buttery consistency. They melt into the beans and add pockets of deep garlic flavor throughout the dish. 
Do the beans need to be soaked overnight, or is there a shortcut?
Overnight soaking in water is the traditional method and gives you the best texture — soft all the way through. If you're short on time, use the quick-soak method: cover beans with water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, and let sit for 1 hour before draining and pressure cooking. Canned kidney beans are a faster substitute if needed; add them at the end of cooking instead.
How do I know when the gravy is ready?
The gravy is ready when the oil starts to separate slightly from the tomato mixture after the 5-7 minute cook — you'll see it pool at the edges of the pan. This is the sign the tomatoes have broken down properly and the gravy will coat the beans rather than sliding off them.
Whole garlic cloves melting into the gravy was my favorite part of this dish. Had to add water twice though, the pot reduced faster than the bean-soften timeline. Docking a star for that, but I’ll cook it again next Sunday.
Kidney red beans are commonly used in chili soup chili con carne and are an integral part of the cuisine in northern regions of India. Red kidney beans are used in New Orleans and much of southern Louisiana for the classic Monday Creole dish of red beans and rice. The smaller, darker red beans are also used, particularly in Louisiana families with a recent Caribbean heritage. Small kidney beans used in La Rioja, Spain, are called caparrones.*:.^
http://caramoan.phHave a good one