Rajma Chawal, Punjabi Rajma Chawal
by Tarla Dalal

rajma chawal recipe | Punjabi rajma chawal | how to make rajma chawal | with 27 amazing images.

Follow this easy rajma chawal recipe, which is a slight variation to Rajma, one of the most popular dishes in North India from Punjab. In this Punjabi rajma chawal delicacy, cooked kidney beans is excitingly flavoured with a wide array of ingredients ranging from ginger and green chillies to tomatoes and onions, spices and masala powders too and then mixed with rice. However, you will be surprised to see that all these are everyday ingredients, which you do not have to go shopping for!

We have got you a perfect recipe for a long and tiring day and one which is loved by each and everyone. Rajma and rice, no meal can be more satiating. This famous combination of rajma chawal is a complete one meal dinner and healthy protein for Vegetarians as it’s a cereal and pulse combination.

Rajma chawal is derived from Punjab and this recipe is super unique as we have mixed the rajma curry and cooked basmati rice and made it like a pulao. This Punjabi rajma chawal can be easily made if you have soaked rajma a day prior. I am sure not even an amateur will go wrong with this one. This recipe is on my menu atleast once in a 2 weeks as it is loved by all my family remembers and my kids go crazy for Rajma chawal. Also, the best part is that it is a one meal dish and supremely tummy filling so you don’t need to cook anything else and have this heavy meal with raita or curd as an accompaniment.

To make rajma chawal, heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. Hing helps in digestion and avoid tummy problem after consuming rajma. Add the onions and ginger-garlic paste. Generally, rajma has a thick gravy made because a common base that is onions and tomato puree but here instead of using a puree of both the ingredients we have chopped onions and tomatoes to give a nice bite to the rice. Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander-cumin seeds powder and salt. Add the rajma and 1 cup of water, mix well and pressure cook for 4 whistles. Press a rajma bean between your thumb and index finger to check whether it has been cooked completely or no, there should be no resistance when you bite into it. If at all they are firm to bite then add some more water and pressure cook for another 1-2 whistles as per your requirement. Add the cooked rice. Before adding the rice, if you find the rajma too watery then cook without a lid till the excess water evaporates Add the coriander and mix well.

A tangy preparation of rajma is combined with cooked rice to make a lip-smacking Rajma Chawal, which stays fresh in the kids tiffin box for at least 5 hours. It’s almost like having rice with a rajma curry to accompany it, but the best part is that it comes in a convenient one-dish package that is easy for kids to handle at lunch time. We have taken care to make the chawal a little moist, so that it does not get dry after a few hours. So, do not worry if you end up with a slightly moist rice when done; that Punjabi rajma chawal how it is meant to be.

Enjoy rajma chawal recipe | Punjabi rajma chawal | how to make rajma chawal | with detailed step by step photos and video below.

Soaking Time:  Overnight   Preparation Time: 10 mins   Cooking Time: 23 mins   Total Time: 5138 hours 33 minutes    4Makes 4 servings
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