Rajma recipe

A lot of people have been asking me for the Rajma recipe. Here goes.

Ingredients

Vegetables
Rajma (1 cup)
Onions (2 small/1 big)
Tomatoes (2 small/1 big)
Ginger garlic paste (1 tsp)
Spices
Jeera (1 tsp)
Jeera powder (1 tsp)
Asafetida/Hing (1 pinch). This is optional.
Turmeric powder (1/2 tsp)
Coriander powder (1 tsp)
Rajma masala (1 tsp)
Garam masala (1 tsp)
Chilli powder ( to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Amchur powder (optional) - to taste
Kasuri methi (1 tsp)

Others
Butter - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Wash and soak the Rajma in water overnight (6-8 hours)
2. Cook the Rajma in a pressure cooker. After the first whistle, lower the flame, and cook for around 30 minutes. Don't discard the water (broth).
3. Heat around 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok (Kadai)
4. Add 1tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
5. After the seeds stop spluttering, add a pinch of hing (asafetida). This is optional. Hing cuts down the gas that the beans generate.
6. Add finely chopped onions (2 small onions, or one big onion), ginger-garlic paste (1 tsp), and stir till the onions are golden brown in color.
7. Add finely chopped tomatoes, and mix well. The oil should separate from the tomatoes.
8. In a bowl, add a little water. To the water, add 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp rajma powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp jeera powder, chilli powder (to taste), 1/2 tsp amchur powder (optional)
9. Add this mixture to the wok (kadai). The water prevents the masala from getting burnt.
10. Add rajma with the water (broth), and mix well.
11. Add salt to taste, and 1 tsp sugar (optional).
12. Add 1 tsp of butter.
13. Crush Kasuri methi (1 tsp) and add to the rajma.
14. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes to let the masala cook well.
15. Taste the broth and adjust the salt/spice as required.
16. Remove from flame, and garnish with chopped coriander and garam masala

The ultimate Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

Keep the following pastes ready before you start off.

Cashew-KhusKhus paste

7-8 cashewnuts dry roasted on tava
1 teaspoon of khuskhus roasted on tava
2-tablespoon curd

Soak the roasted cashew and khuskhus in curd for around 15 min. Add a little water if necessary. Grind them to a coarse paste.

Tomato Paste

4-5 small tomatoes (2 big ones)
5 cloves garlic minced
1 inch ginger minced

Puree the tomatoes: Boil the tomatoes in water till the skin wrinkles. Take them off the water and peel the skin off.
Blend the tomatoes, ginger, and garlic in a mixer to a smooth paste.

Onion paste:
4-5 onions (small)
2-3 cloves (laung)
1 small piece cinammon
2 cardamoms (elaichi)
coriander leaves (half a bunch)

Remove the outer covering of the onions and cut them into half. Except for one onion, cut the rest into half. Put the onions in a mixie with the rest of the ingredients and make a coarse paste. Cut the remaining onion into small pieces.

Paneer: Cut the paneer (200g) into cubes and fry them in around 6tbsp vegetable oil. Place a tissue paper in a container and place the fried paneer pieces on it to drain the excess oil.

Now, we are ready to go with the preparation:

Things you will need now:
1. Butter (I used one small pack of Amul salted butter)
2. Sugar (2 tbsp)
3. Kasuri Methi - 1 tsp
4. Turmeric (Haldi) - 1 tsp
5. Garam Masala - 1 tsp
6. Fresh cream
7. Red chilli powder - to taste
8. Jeera seeds
9. Salt

Melt the butter in a kadai (wok). Add the zeera seeds. When they stop spluttering, add the sugar and heat till it turns brown. Add the onions and heat till they turn brown in color. Don't worry if the sugar is sticking to the spoon. It will dissolve when you add the onion paste. Add the onion paste and heat for 2-3 minutes or till it turns golden brown. Add the tomato paste and heat for 5 minutes. Add the cashew paste and keep stirring for two minutes so that the paste does not stick to the bottom. Add kasuri methi, haldi, Garam masala, salt, and red chilli powder. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the paneer and cook for 5 minutes. Add a little water or milk if you feel the paste becoming too thick. Finally, garnish the preparation with two tablespoons of fresh cream.

It is not as difficult as it sounds. You should have the dish ready in half an hour to forty minutes if you have all the ingredients ready.