Directions

For Soaking

1. Rinse and soak the kidney beans / rajma in enough water for about 8 hours or overnight.

2. The next day, pour out the water and rinse the beans again. Now keep the beans in fresh water for sometime and then drain the water.

For Preparation

1. Cook the kidney beans or rajma in a pot or pressure cooker until they become soft and tender.

2. In a regular pressure cooker :

   Cook the soaked kidney beans / rajma and water directly in a pressure cooker for about 15 to 20 minutes for 4 whistles in a medium to high flame.

3. In instant pot:

   Pressure cook on a high pressure for about 15 to 20 minutes and wait for the pressure to release naturally.

4. If the pressure cook process is done correctly, the rajma must be soft when you bite it but not even slightly hard.

5. If the rajma is hard then cook for 2 more whistles.

For Onion Tomato Puree

1. You can skip the step if you want to use the chopped onions. Using onion puree a=makes the curry smooth. 

   To make the onion puree, add sliced onions to 2 cups of hot water and boil for 3 minutes. Drain the water, cool them, make a fine paste and keep aside.

2. Take the sliced tomatoes and make them into a puree in the same blender. 

To Make The Masala

1. Heat oil in a pan or pot on a low heat and add the cumin seeds first and the bay leaf. Allow them to crackle and turn brown.

2. Add the chopped onions and saute them in a low to medium flame until they turn into golden brown colour.

3. Lower the heat and add the crushed ginger garlic chilli paste. Stir and saute for 10 seconds on a low flame until the raw aroma of the ginger garlic paste fades out.

4. Add the tomatoes or tomato puree and saute on a low to medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes until the puree smell vanishes or tomatoes become soft.

5. Add all the spice powders one by one - garam masala powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.

6. On a low to medium flame keep stirring the whole masala and saute till the oil starts leaving the sides of the masala base. 

7. Now transfer the cooked rajma into the masala and saute for a minute.

To Make The Rajma Masala Curry

1. Add 1 to 1 and 1/2 cup of water and stir the masala. If you prefer, you can add the cooked rajma stock instead of the fresh water.

2. Add salt, slit green chillies to the whole gravy and heat on a low to medium simmer without a lid for about 10 or more minutes until the curry becomes slightly thicker but not watery.

3. To thicken the curry, mash few rajma beans with a spoon.

4. When the rajma masala gravy gets thickened to the right consistency, which is not too thick nor thin then add kasuri methi and fresh cream or malai (to get restaurant style taste). You can skip the cream if you prefer not to add.

5. Keep stirring and simmer for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. 

6. Tasty punjabi rajma / kidney beans curry is ready. It can be served hot with steamed rice, roti, chapathi, jeera rice, nan or paratha.

7. Also you can garnish with some chopped coriander leaves while serving.