Warming, gently spiced curry wrapped around plump, creamy kidney beans.

Rajma - Indian Red Kidney Bean Curry

Serves 4 - 5

It’s taken me years of eating and studying to understand the flavors of Indian cuisine. For a long time, I could not make the flavors meld in my home kitchen the way they do in restaurants. Lots of trial and error and lots of experimenting and I am beginning to get results that are not always 100% traditional in ingredients but, true to traditional cooking styles and flavors. Case in point, this Rajma.

Rajma is a Red Kidney Bean tomato-based curry. This Rajma recipe was inspired by Chetna Markans’s recipe (here) and others that I have tried in the past. Tender red kidney beans, wrapped in a curry that is spiced with coriander and cumin with a slight heat from chili and brightness from kimchi. Some people would consider this a fusion curry and I guess by definition it is, however, this is simply how I like to cook with my favorite flavors added to the base of an Indian curry.

Ingredients

Beans

567g (1.25 lbs) red kidney beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

1,650ml (8.25 c) water

2 bay leaves

1.5 t kosher salt

1 t ground ginger 

Curry

2 T vegetable oil

650g (2 large) onions, finely chopped

8 garlic cloves, minced

5g (1 t) ginger, minced

75ml (1/3 c) well-fermented kimchi brine or 1 large tomato, blended into a puree

1 – 2 cheonygang or serrano chili, chopped

1.5 T ground coriander

2 t gochugaru

1.5 t garam masala

1.25 t ground turmeric

0.75 t kosher salt

0.75 t ground cumin

0.50 t ground black pepper

0.25 t dried thyme

0.25 t asafetida - optional

3 T soy sauce

2 T mirin 

1 T doenjang

Finishing

Cheongyang chili, sliced

Recipe Know-how

1.      In a large pot, place all of the beans ingredients.

• Bring to a boil covered.

• Reduce to a simmer and cook stirring occasionally for 1 hour or until tender.

The beans should be soft and creamy when tasted and the skins should be tender.

If not cooked after 1 hour, continue to cook, testing in 10 minutes intervals until cooked through.

• Allow beans to sit in the cooking liquid until needed. DO NOT DRAIN.

The cooking liquid will become the liquid for the curry.

2.      Heat a large pot on medium-high with the oil.

• Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic and ginger.

• Cook for 20 – 25 minutes stirring occasionally until browned.

Light golden is fine, you are not looking for caramelized onions.

• Increase heat to medium-high again.

• Add the kimchi brine and chili.

• Cook for 2 – 3 minutes stirring frequently.

The goal is for a fond to form from the reducing kimchi brine.

• Add the spices and cook stirring frequently for 1 minute.

• Deglaze with the soy and mirin.

• Cook 1 minute longer, scraping up the fond as you stir.

• Add the beans and their cooking liquid, and doenjang. Cover and bring to a boil.

• Reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes covered stirring occasionally.

• Partially cover the simmering curry and continue to cook 20 minutes longer stirring occasionally.

• Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

• Allow to stand off heat for 10 minutes before serving.

3.      Serve with spiced rice and topping with sliced chili.