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Vegan Rajma ready in 10 minutes (no chopping, no waiting)

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This recipe is an easy vegan Rajma (Kidney bean Indian stew) recipe that requires:

  • no chopping (i.e. no chopping ginger, garlic, onion, tomatoes)
  • no soaking/cooking kidney beans
  • no browning onions, no pureeing ingredients

The internet is filled with ideas for authentic, exquisite, intensive 1-hour Rajma recipes that involve pureeing, browning and simmering steps. Who has time nowadays to do that (especially on weekdays) + cook the rice or roti, and additional dishes like raita or sabzi for a meal?

Here’s an easy, yet delicious Rajma recipe that will be ready within 10 minutes made with canned kidney beans, frozen ginger garlic cubes, etc - all fantastic, preservative-free shortcuts that will deliver a tasty dish in no time.

Flavor Buildup

Here’s all you need to know to make rajma. It is actually a simple recipe, yet delivers great results consistently.

Rajma is basically kidney beans cooked in a flavored tomato sauce. If you observe the traditional version, you will notice, everything gets cooked down and pureed. There are no chunks. The only chunks are the beans themselves. In this quick version, we make this happen by using finely powdered or paste ingredients.

Since it is a stew-like recipe, we, of course, start it off with ginger garlic paste. Ginger garlic paste builds flavor to most scoopable north indian stews. Then build flavoring by only 3 ingredients - coriander powder, onion powder, chili powder. Then we add canned tomato puree, which further reduces our time to pureeing and cooking tomatoes down. Final oomph - garam masala, and kasoori methi.

Fun fact - Kasoori methi is dried fenugreek leaves (methi) which originally were grown and exported from the land of Qasoor, Pakisthan. This is a dried bitter herb that cuts through the tanginess of the tomatoes. (For eg -It is also added to parathas (Indian flatbread) akin to rosemary added to focaccia bread.)

Canned kidney beans are a great time saver and a healthy option since most canned beans only contain 2-3 ingredients: kidney beans, water, salt. Check your can ingredients and buy only the ones with these basic ingredients and no other added preservatives or stabilizers.

Recipe

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Vegan Rajma ready in 10 minutes (no chopping, no waiting)

Recipe by Swetha SivakumarCourse: RecipesCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

2

servings
Prep time

1

minute
Cooking time

9

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Canned Kidney Beans

  • 2 Tbsp oil

  • 1 frozen garlic cube

  • 1 frozen ginger cube

  • 3/4 cup pureed tomato sauce (from canned tomatoes)

  • Spices

  • 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder (a mild chili powder)

  • 1 tsp coriander powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • 1/2 tsp garam masala

  • Optional Ingredients at the end

  • Couple of pinches Kasoori methi

  • 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

Directions

  • Add oil to a pan. Set it on on low-medium heat. Add frozen cubes of ginger and garlic to oil. As the oil heats up, the frozen cubes start to dissolve in the oil. *
  • Keeping the oil still at low-medium flame, add onion powder, coriander powder, chili powder and stir continuously.
  • Add canned tomato sauce. Increase flame to high, stir continuously for a minute until you see oil glistening on the sides.
  • Add canned kidney beans.
  • Let everything come to a boil for a minute. Add a pinch of kasuri methi, crushing it with your hands before adding it. Add garam masala and salt based on need (remember some cans have already salted beans).
    Serve.

Notes

  • If you add frozen ginger garlic cubes to hot oil, it will splutter everywhere and burn quickly. Add it to room-temperatire oil and let is heat up together.
  • If you want to take the dish to the next level, in a small pan, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add 1 more (additional) tsp of coriander and chili powder, let it sizzle, give it a quick stir and add the tadka to the dish. Mix well. While this adds more fat to your dish, it can add more complex tones as well.

Conclusion

Say it with me - Tasty Indian dishes like Rajma do not have to be complicated!! Save the browning of the onions and the pureeing for the yearly family gathering.

In the meanwhile, I hope this ‘Vegan Rajma recipe ready within 10 minutes’  helps you deliver tasty rajma at your home on a regular weekday without too much stress or hassle. Let me know your thoughts and comments below. I look forward to reading them.

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