Raj Mah (Kidney Beans)

Raj Mah is a dish made from kidney beans. It is a hearty meal that I love to serve in the winter time.

1 cup dry red kidney beans (or 1¾ cups canned kidney beans)
3 ½ cups water
1 tsp salt (for soaking beans)
1 tbsp Jaswant’s Kitchen Tadka Masala
1 tsp ginger (minced)
1 tomato (chopped) or substitute with 1 tsp tomato paste
¼ cup cilantro (choped)
1 tsp mango powder or substitute with 1 tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp Jaswant’s Kitchen Garam Masala

Whole Spices

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 pod black cardamom
5 black peppercorns
1” stick cinnamon

NOTE: If using canned kidney beans, rinse before using and do not add salt to the dish until the end to taste.

TIP: If using dry beans boil a bigger batch and freeze for future use.

Cooking beans: Soak dry beans in 3 cups of water with salt overnight. The next day, pre heat the oven to 350°F and bring the beans in salted water to a boil on the stove. Cover the pot with a lid and place in preheated oven. Set the cook timer to 1.5 hours. Cooking beans in the oven eliminates the need to constantly check the pot. It cooks evenly and is less likely to burn. The beans should break easily when pressed. You may need to adjust the cooking time according to the efficiency of your oven or stove. Drain the beans.

Instant Pot: Add dry beans (no need to pre-soak) to the pot with 3 cups of water (or enough to cover beans by 1 inch) and pressure cook for 35 mins. While beans are cooking, prepare the masala mixture (below). After 35 mins of pressure cooking, quick release the pressure and add the masala mixture to the pot. Boil mixture with lid open on saute function to thicken the sauce and adjust salt as needed.

Masala mixture: Heat oil in a pot on medium heat and add the whole spices. Fry until golden and fragrant, ensuring that spices do not burn. Add Jaswant’s Kitchen Tadka Masala and ginger and stir. Add tomatoes. If using tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes, add ¼ cup water as well. Cook until tomatoes are soft and the mixture thickens.

Now add the cooked beans and ½ cup of water. If using canned beans, add an extra 1/2 cup of water. Cover and let simmer at medium low for 20 minutes. Add the mango powder if using. Finish with Jaswant’s Kitchen Garam Masala and garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice, yoghurt and salad.

TIP: This recipe can easily be made in a slow cooker. Add dry beans (no need to soak), salted water and set on high for 6-8 hours. Make masala mixture as directed and finish the dish in 30 minutes at the end of the day when you get home from work.

Makes 2-3 servings

Prep Time: If using dry beans - 1h 30 min (start 24 hours before)

Prep Time: If using canned beans - 5 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Indian Community Thumbs Up

I made this receipe for a pot luck before Christmas and at the advice of the best dish to make by my Indian colleague. (He said it was impossible to mess this up). My meditation class loved it and were so surprised that I could cook Indian food so well. Who knew?