rajma pulao recipe

PREP TIME : 9 HOURS
COOK TIME : 35 MIN
TOTAL TIME : 9 HOURS 35 

recipe type: main

cuisine: north indian

serves: 2-3

ingredients

for cooking rajma:

• ½ cup rajma/kidney beans, 90 to 100 grams
• 2 cups water for pressure cooking
• ¼ tsp salt, optional

whole spices:

• 1 small to medium tej patta
• 3 cloves/lavang
• 2 to 3 green cardamoms/hari elaichi/choti elaichi
• 1 black cardamom/badi elaichi
• ½ inch cinnamon/dalchini
• ½ tsp cumin seeds, shahjeera also can be added instead of jeera

to be crushed to a paste:

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

other ingredients:

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced or ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions or 60 grams onion, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves/dhania patta
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• ½ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
• 1 heaped cup basmati rice, 200 grams, soaked in enough water for 30 minutes
• 1.75 to 2 cups water, do add water depending on the quality of basmati rice
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• salt as required
• 1 to 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish

how to make the recipe:

cooking rajma.

1. a night before or for 8 to 9 hours, rinse ½ cup rajma a couple of times and then soak in water.
2. the next day, discard the soaked water. then rinse the rajma beans again very well in running water. drain.
3. add the rinsed rajma to a pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water. you can also add ¼ tsp salt if you want.
4. pressure cook for 15 to 20 whistles or for 12 to 17 minutes. first i cooked rajma beans for 15 whistles and found that the beans were still uncooked from center. so i pressure cooked for 5 whistles more. rajma has to be cooked very well. there should be no rawness or bite in the rajma. pressure cooking time will vary depending on quality of rajma.
5. when the pressure settles down in the cooker, then remove the lid. strain the rajma. keep aside.

soaking rice:

1. before you keep the rajma for cooking, rinse 1 heaped cup basmati rice very well in water till the water runs clear of starch. then soak the rice in enough water for 30 minutes. after 30 minutes strain the rice of all the water and keep aside.

preparing ginger+garlic+green chili paste & other prep work:

1. in a mortar-pestle take 1 inch ginger (roughly chopped), 6 to 7 garlic cloves (roughly chopped) and 1 or 2 green chilies, chopped.
2. crush to a coarse paste. you can also use a small grinder to make this paste. keep aside.
3. thinly slice one medium onion. also chop coriander leaves and keep aside.

preparing pulao:

1. just rinse the same pressure cooker in which we cooked rajma beans, with water and then keep again on stove top. add 3 tbsp oil. when the oil becomes hot, lower the flame and add these whole spices - 1 small to medium tej patta, 3 cloves, 2 to 3 green cardamoms, 1 black cardamom, ½ inch cinnamon and ½ tsp cumin seeds.
2. let the spices crackle.
3. now add ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions.
4. on a low to medium flame, begin sauteing the onions.
5. saute the onions till they start to become golden.
6. now add the crushed ginger+garlic+green chilli paste along with ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves.
7. stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. this takes a few seconds.
8. add the cooked rajma beans.
9. next add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chili powder and ½ tsp coriander powder. mix well.
10. add the rice. season with salt.
11. gently stir and mix the rice and salt with the rest of the ingredients.
12. now add 2 cups water. you can add 1.75 cups to 2 cups of water. do add water depending on the quality of basmati rice.
13. lastly add ½ tsp lemon juice.
14. cover and pressure cook for on a medium to high flame for 2 to 3 whistles or 8 to 9 minutes.
15. when the pressure comes down on its own, open the lid and gently fluff the pulao.
16. garnish with some chopped coriander leaves and serve rajma pulao hot with your favorite raita or salad or pickle.

notes

- for cooking kidney beans in a pot or pan:
take a deep bottomed pan or pot. add 2.5 to 3 cups of water along with the kidney beans. cover the pan and on a medium to high flame cook the beans. if required add more hot water.
- for cooking pulao in a pot.
add 2 cups water. on a low to medium flame, cover and cook till rice is done.

PANEER TOMATO CURRY

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

Cooking Time: 15-18 Minutes

Total time : 35 Minutes

Servings: 3 Persons
Category: Veg Curry

Ingredients:

200Gms Cottage Cheese/ Paneer

2 Medium Onions

3 Large  Tomatoes

1 Tsp. Ginger

2 Green Chilies

2 Tsp. Tomato Ketchup

1/2 Tsp. Cumin Seeds

1 Tsp. Coriander powder

1/2 Tsp. Red chile powder

1/2 Tsp. Garam Masala

1/2 Tsp. Turmeric Powder

1 Tsp. Mint Powder

Salt to Taste

1 Tbsp. Ghee/ Oil

Coriander Leaves, Chopped for garnishing

Instructions:

Cut the paneer into big cube shape. Heat the oil and shallow fry them. Keep aside.

Chop and grind the onion,green chili  and ginger together as paste.

Chop and grind the tomatoes separately as puree.

Heat the oil in pan. Add cumin  seeds, when they start crackle.

Add onion paste and cook till to golden.

Add tomato puree and cook till to oil separates.

Add spices, mint powder and tomato ketchup. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.

Add two cup of water and cook till to gravy become thicken. Add fried paneer and mix well.

Garnish with chopped green coriander and garam masala.

Serve hot Paneer Tomato Curry with Parathas.

Sweet and sour Lemon Pickle

Preparation Time : 30 min

Cooking Time : 30 min

Total Time : 60                                                                                                                                 

Recipe  : pickle

Servings : 4

Ingredients

• 800 grams            lemans / Nimbu Indian yellow lemons *
• 150 grams Salt / Namak
• 3/4 tsp Turmeric Powder / Haldi Powder
• 2.5 tsp Red Chilli powder / Laal mirch powder
• 1.5 tsp Cumin Seeds / Sabut Jeera
• 1.5 tsp Fenugreek Seeds / Methidana
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds / Rai
• 2 tbsp Ginger / Adrak Grated
• 1/2 tsp Asafoetida / Hing powder
• 2 cup Sugar / Chini

Instructions

1. Wash and wipe lemons with a cloth,there should not be any moisture on the lemons.
2. Now chop the lemons into small pieces(8-12 pieces from a lemon)
3. In a pan dry roast cumin,fenugreek and mustard seeds to a nice golden colour(dont over do this)on slow flame, then grind to make a powder.
4. Mix salt, turmeric ,asafoetida,1.5 tbs lemon juice and ground spices in the chopped lemon pieces and mix well.
5. Cover the jar and keep aside for a month so the lemon skin will become soft due to the salt.keep shaking the jar once in a day.
6. After a month when lemon peel become soft, add the sugar and grated ginger in lemons and mix well .
7. Cover the jar mouth with a muslin cloth and try to keep the jar in sunlight for few hours daily for approx 2 weeks or till the sugar will melt and the syrup become thick.

Recipe Notes

Serving Suggestions-taste great with paratha,rice and khichdi .

My Notes-
1-I have used small Indian yellow lemons.
2-If you add sugar in the beginning then lemon peels will take longer time to soften .
3- You may also add some chopped green chilies to it at step 6.