Kashmiri Rajma (Kashmiri Kidney Beans)

We were planning a mac & cheese for dinner tonight, but mac & cheese isn't really a meal in and of itself. We added a bit of chopped kale to the pasta to give it a veggie boost and I whipped up this kidney bean curry to add some protein. I think the kidney beans complemented the mac & cheese really well! And this did come together quite easily in the InstantPot. I think the only change I'd make next time is to reduce the water a bit since I prefer thicker curries.

The recipe calls for a small amount of garam masala. Since this author tends to assume that you'll only have one (likely store-bought) garam masala on hand, I just used a basic bin bhuna hua garam masala for it. That said, it was tempting to swap in some Kashmiri garam masala since I had some made up already and it seemed fitting with the Kashmiri kidney beans. I might try that next time.

Kashmiri rajma (left) pictured with masala mac & cheese (right).

Kashmiri Rajma

Slightly adapted from Vegetarian Indian Cooking with Your Instant Pot by Manali Singh

Ingredients

• 1 c. kashmiri kidney beans¹
• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1/2 (3") cinnamon stick
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/8 tsp. ground asafetida
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 400mL diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds, ground
• 3/4 tsp. fennel seeds, ground
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2-1 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies
• 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 c. water
• 2-3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp. ghee, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Soak the beans overnight. Alternatively, for a quick soak, pour boiling water over the beans to cover and let soak for 1 hour.
2. Drain the beans and set aside.
3. Set InstantPot to sauté (medium) and, once pot has preheated, add oil, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and cumin seeds and cook for 30-60 seconds.
4. Add onion and asafetida and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add ginger and garlic and cook for another minute or so.
6. Add tomato, cover with glass/slow cooker lid, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
7. Stir in coriander, fennel, salt, chili powder, Kashmiri chilies, and ginger and cook for a minute more.
8. Add water and cilantro along with drained beans.
9. Seal InstantPot and set to pressure cook on high for 35 minutes. Allow a 15 minute natural release.
10. Set InstantPot to sauté on high.
11. Use a potato masher to mash some of the beans.
12. Simmer the curry until desired consistency is achieved, then stir in ghee (if using).
13. Serve with rice and/or your favourite mac & cheese!

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¹ Kashmiri kidney beans tend to be smaller and darker than standard North American kidney beans. If you can't find them, try looking for dry "chili beans". If you can't find those either, then regular kidney beans will work. ^Back