Rajma Chawal

Today’s recipe is Rajma chawal though rajma is a north Indian vegetarian dish, but thoroughly all over the India and across the India, people love to have it.  Rice is the best pair of rajma so whenever we say rajma, chawal automatically comes with it. In India we say chawal instead of rice, personally I prefer Rajma Chawal with jeera rice so by today we will learn to make rajma and jeera rice.

Ingredients for Jeera Rice:-

Basmati rice - 2 cup

Water - 6 cup

Salt - as per taste

Bay leaf - 1

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cardamom - 2 (1 green & 1 black)

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Clarified butter (ghee) - 2 tbsp

Cloves -2

Coriander leaves - 2 tsp

Lemon juice - 2 / 3 drops

Process to cook Jeera Rice:-

·        Rinse the rice till starch stop to come from rice.

·        Turn the flame on and keep the pot to the burner, add 6 cup water.

·      Add all whole spices, salt and ½ tsp of clarified butter and some drop of lemon juice.

·        Keep the flame on medium and wait to simmer.

·        Now add rice and stir occasionally.

·    Check the rice is done or not after 10 min (take out some rice with the help of spoon and press by your thumb, if rice is done you will get to know cause rice will be tender as you needed to have) if not done than let it cook for 5 or 10 min more and again repeat the same process to check.

·    Drain whole water from the rice (take a lid to cover the pot and gently drain the water) now rice is done, keep it aside.

·       Now put another pot on medium flame and let it heat.

·      Add remaining clarified butter and add whole cumin seeds.

·     Let them crackle for few seconds, now place the cooked rice and stir it very gently for 5 min and after adding coriander leaves turn off the flame.

·        Now serve it hot.

Tip: -

Ø Rice can be cook in pressure cooker too so you can cook as per your choice.

Ø Lemon juice is optional it enhances the taste of rice so i am using but you can skip it.

Ø You can make by vegetable oil but clarified butter makes the rice soft and aromatic so try to prefer clarified butter.

Ingredients for Jeera Rice:-

Kidney beans - 250gm

Salt - to taste

Butter/ oil – 3 tbsp

Onion - 2 finely chopped

Red chili powder -2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder - 3 tsp

Cumin powder - 3 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 2

Green chili - 2 chopped

Ginger & garlic paste - 2 tsp

Tomato -2 finely chopped

Kashmiri lal mirch - 2 tsp

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

Water - as required

Process to make Rajma (Kidney beans):-

·        Soak the kidney beans for whole night or around 15 hrs.

·        In a pressure cooker give them 5 to 6 whistle to cook.

·     Now, heat the pan on a medium flame add butter then bay leaf, cumin seeds and let them crackle for few second.

·    Add chopped onion and fry until it becomes brown add ginger garlic paste, green chili, turmeric and salt to taste and stir it for few minute then add chopped tomatoes and again fry for some minute.

·        Now we will add all powder spices then will occasionally sprinkle lil bit water on it so that mashala will not get burn.

·        Keep frying till becomes smooth paste of mashala around 8 -10 minute.

·    Add cooked kidney beans and fry it for 5 minute and add water as per your requirement for gravy.

·      Cook for 10 minute in a medium heat and add coriander leaves and turn off the flame and garnish it with sliced onion.

·        Serve it hot with steamed rice or jeera rice as per your choice.

 Tip: -

Ø You can cook the kidney beans in a pressure cooker, for that after done smooth paste of all spices add soaked kidney beans and add water as per your requirements and give 5 to 6 whistle and at the time of serving add coriander leaves.