Easy Dump and Done Dhaba Style Rajma Recipe. An Indian Kidney Bean Curry cooked in a fragrant tomato yogurt sauce. Made in the instant pot, no extra steps, just add to pot and done. Serve with a dollop of vegan butter and a side of rice.
If you want to make a Punjabi fall in love with you, Make a ridiculously good Rajma(Kidney Bean Curry) ie this Dhaba Style Rajma!. The easiest and most hands-off way to whip a comforting bowl of rajma. We cook some kidney beans along with whole and ground spices then add some tomato puree and finish off with yogurt for some extra richness and creaminess. This is a dump and done recipe, ie no standing around for multiple steps! Just add to pot and pressure cook.
To get that extra creaminess, we mash the kidney beans along into the sauce. With the whole spices this Rajma tastes especially amazing a few hours after cooking as the whole spices bloom with time.
The cooked kidney beans absorb all of those much-loved spices and they are simply heartwarming served with a dollop of vegan butter!
More recipes with red kidney beans
- Peanut Stew with Kidney Beans
- Kidney Bean Millet Beet Burger
- Curried Kidney Beans , roasted zucchini bowl
- Lentil Kidney Bean Chili. 1 Pot Recipe
More Instant pot recipes
Vegan Cheese Sauce (Instant Pot Potato Carrot Cheese Sauce)
Instant Pot Dal Bukhara-Dump and Done Creamy Black lentils
Vegan Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry with Soy curls
Recipe Card
Dhaba Rajma Masala Indian Kidney Bean Curry
Ingredients
- 1 cup (177 g) dry dark red kidney beans soaked for 8 hours or overnight
- 1/2 cup (80 g) chopped red onion
- 1/2 inch ginger minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 hot green chili minced or omit to keep it low heat
- 2 black cardamoms slightly opened or you can use 1 black and 1 green cardamom,
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder or use 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1-2 teaspoon garam masala or chole masala powder
- 2 cups (475 ml) water
To add later:
- 4 ounces (115 g) tomato puree canned purée or use unseasoned tomato sauce/passata. see notes for using fresh tomato
- 1/4 cup (60 g) non-dairy yogurt or blended silken tofu or thick cashew cream or coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (Kasoori methi)
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Soak your beans if you haven't already and let them sit soaking for overnight or 8 hours then drain.
- To the inner pot of the instant pot, add a few drops of oil and spread at the bottom to avoid the beans sticking or scorching at the bottom .
- Then add the drained kidney beans, ginger, garlic, onion, chili, cardamom, cloves, cumin, spices, and 2 cups of water.
- Mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook on bean mode for 55 minutes to 1 hour. If your beans are old, then pressure cook for 1 hour. For other pressure cookers use “pressure cook” mode. For stove top pressure cookers, add 1/4 cup more water and cook for 55 mins once the pressure indicator is on( pressure has reached).
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 mins then quick release carefully. then open the lid.
- Press saute and add the tomato puree, yogurt, 3/4 teaspoon salt and fenugreek leaves and mix well.
- Mash some of the beans using your spatula by mashing them on the sides of the instant pot.
- Continue to cook until it comes to a good boil. Taste and adjust carefully to add or adjust salt and flavor. Add more heat if needed and salt if needed.
- Then switch of saute. Let it sit for another few minutes then garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or flatbread. A bit of vegan butter works amazingly with the rajma.
- Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for upto 4 days. Freeze for upto 2 months.Reheat in a saucepan or microwave
Notes
- Sauté the aromatics: sauté the onion ginger garlic, and chile for 4-5 mins in 2 teaspoons an oil along with the whole spices and a pinch of salt. Then switch of sautéing. Add the rest of the ingredients and proceed.
- Fresh tomatoes: If using fresh tomatoes, purée the tomatoes without any water in a blender then cook the purée over medium heat for 6-8 mins to thicken, then use.
- To make in saucepan: Follow the steps in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1.5 cups more water, partially cover and cook for 65-75 minutes or until the beans are tender. Then mash some beans and proceed to add the tomato purée yogurt etc
- Oilfree: omit the oil and vegan butter
- Double it: Time remains the same
- Canned beans: Use 2 cans, drain, add to pot with spices snd 1 cup water(instead of 2 cups), pressure cook 5 mins, quick release and proceed
- No Onion garlic: use zucchini instead of onion, add 1/2 teaspoon more fenugreek leaves and a generous pinch asafetida if you have some.
Nutrition
Ingredients:
- Dark red kidney beans soaked for 8 hours or overnight
- chopped red onion, ginger, and garlic are super important here along with hot green chili
- whole spices: black cardamom pods, whole cloves
- ground spices: cumin, Kashmiri chili powder, paprika and coriander, garam masala or chole masala powder
- tomato puree (canned purée) or use unseasoned tomato sauce lends fruitiness to the gravy
- non-dairy yogurt makes this dish rich and creamy and mildens the heat of the chili. Use cashew cream or coconut cream or vegan cream cheese as a sub
- salt and fenugreek leaves round out the salty and fragrant butter flavor profiles
Tips:
- Instead of yogurt, you can use blended silken tofu or thick cashew cream
- If you are using fresh tomatoes, purée the tomatoes without any water in a blender then cook the purée over medium heat for 6-8 mins to thick then use.
- see recipe notes for oil free, no onion garlic and stovetop options
How to make this Dhaba Style Rajma Recipe
Soak your beans if you haven’t already and let them sit soaking for overnight or 8 hours then drain. To the inner pot of the instant pot, add a few drops of oil and spread at the bottom yo reduce chances of sticking
Then add the drained kidney beans, ginger, garlic, onion, chili, cardamom, cloves, cumin, spices, and 2 cups of water.
Mix well. Close the lid and pressure cook on bean mode for 55 minutes to 1 hour. If your beans are old, then pressure cook for 1 hour.
Let the pressure release naturally for 10 mins then carefully quick release and open the lid.
Press saute and add the tomato puree, yogurt, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and fenugreek leaves and mix well.
Mash some of the beans using your spatula by mashing them on the sides of the instant pot.
Continue to cook until it comes to a good boil. Taste and adjust carefully to adjust salt and flavor. Add more heat if needed and salt if needed.
Then switch off saute. Let it sit for another few minutes then serve with rice or flatbread. Garnish with cilantro.
Alternatively, sauté the onion ginger garlic and chile for 4-5 mins in 2 teaspoon of oil along with the whole spices and a pinch of salt as the first step. Then switch off sauté. Add the rest of the ingredients and proceed to pressure cook
To make in saucepan: Follow the steps in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1.5 cups more water, partially cover and cook for 65-75 minutes or until the beans are tender. Then mash some beans and proceed to add the tomato purée yogurt etc
Storage
Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for upto 4 days. Freeze for upto 2 months.
Reheat in a saucepan or microwave.
Jasmeet
The beans were so creamy! I added a bit more masala and use cashew cream. Everyone loved it!!
Richa
Awesome
Emily
This turned out sooo good. I am love with this version of rajma!
Richa
❤️❤️
Anne
Delicious! Great comfort food!! Will definitely make again!!
Richa
Yay!
VM
I followed this recipe exactly with no substitutions and it fell short. I used dried kidney beans soaked for 14 hours, and followed exactly with instant pot. I had to add a lot more flavorings, but the biggest issue I had was adding the yogurt to the hot rajma/kidney beans after done. The yogurt curdled and it was not pretty.
I am from India so have tried many rajma recipes, sadly this disappointed.
Vegan Richa Support
So sorry to hear that! Hopefully another recipe will work better for you. Thank you for your feedback here!
Richa
Which yogurt did you use?
You can adjust the flavorings to preference. The spice ages matter. Older masala doesn’t have as much flavor. 2 tsp fresh garam masala is plenty for the beans. Also the flavors develop a bit later. When it’s very hot and right after cooking the flavors are a bit hidden.
Kaye
Delicious! who knew beans could taste so amazing, thanks for a great recipe.
Richa
Right! Indian food makes amazing beans!
Bill
I’m interested in trying this recipe but I only have a regular pressure cooker (not an instant pot). What modifications should I make to the steps? What does “bean mode” on an instant pot do?
Thanks for your site.
Richa
It’s pressure cooking with different amounts of pressure through the time. Use regular pressure cook function for other pressure cookers. You might need to pressure cook 5-10 mins longer based on your pressure cooker and age of beans
Bill
I’m not sure I understand. If I were cooking red kidney beans that had been soaked, I would pressure cook them for 10-12 minutes. Is that what you suggest I do?
Richa
Yes for just cooking the beans you need that much time, but for this kidney bean curry, you pressure cook for the 55 mins. The traditional rajma curry has kidney beans that are cooked until very soft and melt in your mouth. That texture doesn’t happen in 10 mins time. You can pressure cook for shorter time if you prefer the kidney bean to be toothsome
Bill
Thank you for your response.
I tried the recipe with beans I had already pressure cooked for my usual 10-12 minutes by treating them as canned beans. I enjoyed the result. Next time, I will follow the recipe more closely.
Vegan Richa Support
glad you enjoyed!
Rani
I’ve made rajma a lot before and it was always so boring. This turned out so so delish! The flavors were all there to make it creamy, a little runny, and perfect. I didn’t have cardamom so left that out but will have to find some for next time. Thankyou!
Vegan Richa Support
Yay!
Michele Martin
Made this for dinner tonight. I’ve never had kidney beans in any Indian food before and wow, it really is a delicious dish perfect with basmati rice or naan. I used some probably “old” dried red kidney beans. I soaked them 12 hrs. and after cooking them about 70 minutes on the stove, they still weren’t softened much. I then added 1/2 tsp baking soda to them and, voila! After another 15 minutes of simmering, they were soft enough to mash up. I copied the recipe almost exactly except I used 3 green cardamon as I had no black and I put in 8 ounces tomato puree and used cashew yogurt. It’s a definite keeper. Thanks!!
Vegan Richa Support
yay! thank you!
Maneesha
Amazing recipe again, Richa! You totally nailed it with this one! I love the dump and done recipes! I blended the onion with the garlic, ginger, jalapeno pepper and then added it to the instant pot with the rest of the ingredients. Turned out beautifully! Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
thank YOU! glad you enjoyed.
Ivy
Hi, Richa! How important is the black cardamom pod? I need them, right?
Richa
It adds a nice smoky flavor. You can use green cardamom and add a bit of smoked paprika
Laura
I need to make this recipe. Wow, I think you have outdone yourself!
As soon as I can get some dried kidney beans, I must make your Dirty Cajun Rice recipe and this recipe. I plan to report back.
Thank you so much Richa. 🙂
Richa
❤️❤️❤️
Izzy
I don’t have fenugreek leaves but I do have the seeds.
What can I do there? (If possible)
And with canned beans you mean add 1 cup water instead of 2 when using dry beans?
Thank you 😊
Richa
Yes 1 cup water instead of 2.
Powder the seeds and use 1/4 tsp
Maneesha
Yippeee!! Just by reading this post, I know this is going to be an amazing recipe, and I can’t wait to try it!
Vegan Richa Support
can’t wait to hear back when you do!
Khiri
This looks incredible! Would the cooking times change at all if the recipe were doubled?
Richa
Tolimes remain same, use 3.5 cups water
Khiri
Perfect, thank you!
Keren
This looks delicious! Can it be made with canned beans?
Richa
Yes Use 2 cans, drain, add to pot with spices snd 1 cup water, pressure cook 5 mins, quick release and proceed
Keren
thank you! Just made it tonight and it’s delicious!!!
Richa
Yay!!