Bihari Rajma Curry

Cuisine: Bihar Category: Lunch Prep: 15 min Cook: 50 min Serves: 4 Difficulty: Medium 🌿 Vegetarian

Red kidney beans in a rich Bihari onion-tomato gravy — the Sunday protein lunch

Ingredients

Method

  1. About Bihari Rajma Curry: Rajma is cooked in every Bihari home on Sundays — the long-cooked kidney bean curry served with steamed rice is a beloved tradition. The Bihari version distinguishes itself from the Punjabi version with a more pronounced ginger-garlic base, less cream, and a hand-mashing technique that creates a thick, rustic gravy without any thickener.
  2. Choose good quality rajma: Use 1 cup of dried red kidney beans (rajma). Look for plump, deep red-brown beans without wrinkles. Old rajma stays tough no matter how long you cook it. Avoid canned rajma if possible — fresh-cooked tastes dramatically better.
  3. Soak overnight: Pick over the rajma for any small stones. Wash thoroughly in 3-4 changes of water. Cover with plenty of cold water (the beans will roughly triple in size) and soak for 8-10 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking water completely — it contains compounds that cause digestive discomfort.
  4. Pressure cook: Place the soaked rajma in a pressure cooker with 4 cups fresh water and 1 tsp salt. Cook on high heat for 6-8 whistles, then on low heat for 15 more minutes. Total time about 30 minutes. The beans should be very soft — easily crushed between thumb and finger but still holding their shape.
  5. Reserve the cooking liquid: Do not drain the rajma — the cooking liquid is full of flavour and will become part of the gravy. Set the cooked rajma aside in its liquid.
  6. Prepare the onions: Take 2 medium onions. Peel and finely chop into 5mm dice. The onions need to be plentiful and finely chopped for the rich Bihari gravy base.
  7. Prepare the aromatics: Take 5 garlic cloves. Crush, peel and mince finely. Take a 1 inch piece of fresh ginger. Peel and grate to get 1.5 tsp.
  8. Prepare the tomatoes: Take 2 medium tomatoes. Chop finely or, even better, blend to a smooth puree. Pureed tomato gives a smoother gravy and is the more traditional choice for rajma.
  9. Heat the oil: Pour 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil (or ghee for richer flavour) into a heavy-bottomed pot or kadhai over medium-high heat. Heat for 30 seconds until shimmering.
  10. Fry the onions deeply: Add the chopped onions. Stir-fry on medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring every minute, until deep golden brown. Take your time — this colour is the foundation. Pale onions produce pale, weak rajma; deep golden onions produce rich, deep rajma.
  11. Add ginger and garlic: Add the minced garlic and grated ginger. Stir for 2 minutes until fragrant. The kitchen will fill with the savoury aroma of frying ginger and garlic.
  12. Add the tomato puree: Pour in the tomato puree. The pot will hiss and steam. Cook for 8-10 minutes on medium heat, stirring every 2 minutes, until the tomato has fully broken down into a thick paste and oil separates at the edges of the pan. This separation tells you the masala base is properly cooked.
  13. Add the dry spices: Sprinkle in 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder and 1 tsp coriander powder. Stir for 1 minute — the masala will deepen to a rich rust-red colour.
  14. Add the rajma with cooking liquid: Pour in the cooked rajma along with all its cooking liquid. Stir well. The liquid should just cover the rajma — if too thick, add 1 cup hot water; if too thin, simmer uncovered to reduce.
  15. The key mash step: Use the back of your spoon or a potato masher to crush about a quarter of the rajma against the sides of the pot. This naturally thickens the gravy without any cornflour or cream — it is the secret to authentic Bihari rajma texture.
  16. Simmer for flavour development: Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking. The longer you simmer, the more the flavours develop and the thicker the gravy becomes.
  17. Add garam masala: Sprinkle 1/2 tsp garam masala over the curry. Stir well. Garam masala goes in at the end — adding it earlier dulls the aroma. Simmer 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
  18. Garnish and serve: Switch off heat. Sprinkle 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander over the top. Serve hot over steamed basmati rice — the classic Bihari Sunday lunch combination is rajma-chawal. Top with a knob of butter and a squeeze of lemon for extra richness. Many Biharis also serve sliced raw onion and a piece of pickle on the side. Tastes even better the next day.

Recipe from samaiyal.com — Authentic Indian Recipes