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.
Rajma Chawal, Punjabi Rajma Chawal recipe - How to make Rajma Chawal, Punjabi Rajma Chawal
Soaking Time: Overnight Preparation Time: Cooking Time: Total Time:
Makes 4 servings
For Rajma Chawal
1/2 cup rajma (kidney beans) , soaked overnight and drained
3 cups cooked rice (chawal) or leftover rice
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1/2 cup sliced onions
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lehsun) paste
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander-cumin seeds (dhania-jeera) powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
For rajma chawal
- For rajma chawal
- To make {span class="bold1"}rajma chawal{/span}, heat the oil in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
- Add the onions and ginger-garlic paste and sauté on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander-cumin seeds powder and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Add the rajma and 1 cup of water, mix well and pressure cook for 4 whistles.
- Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
- Add the cooked rice, mix gently and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Add the coriander and mix well.
How to pack
- How to pack
- Allow the {span class="bold1"}rajma chawal{/span} to cool completely, and pack in an air-tight tiffin box.
Rajma Chawal Video by Tarla Dalal
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- If you like the rajma chawal recipe | Punjabi rajma chawal | how to make rajma chawal | given below are the links to rajma recipes :
For cooking the long-grained rice
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To begin making the rajma chawal , you can either pressure cook the rice or cook them on a stovetop. I will be cooking them directly on a stovetop as it gives you control over the cooking time. Wash around ¾ cup of rice thoroughly. You can use any variety of rice. In fact, making use of leftover rice works well for this rajma chawal tiffin treat. To save time, you can cook rice simultaneously while the rajma is pressure cooking. So rajma curry and chawal will be ready at the same time
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Soak in 3 cups of water for 30 minutes. Cover with a lid and keep aside
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Drain the rice with the help of a strainer.
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Boil a vessel full of water, add 1 tbsp of oil
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Add salt
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Add the rice to the boiling water
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Cook till the rice is al dente, stirring once or twice in between. The rice grain must be fully cooked yet firm.
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Pour into a colander and let the water drain out
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Spread the cooked rice on a plate to cool
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Cover with another place so the top layer of rice does not dry out while they are cooling
Preparation for Rajma Chawal
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For making the rajma, wash the kidney beans very well. Use fresh stock of rajma or else they won’t cook well
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Submerge 1/2 cups of rajma in enough water. You can make use of canned kidney beans as well if in a hurry
- Cover them with a lid and soak them overnight. It is important to soak them well so, they get cooked easily
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After soaking, drain the rajma. They will look like this
How to make rajma chawal
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To make rajma chawal recipe | Punjabi rajma chawal | how to make rajma chawal | for lunch, heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Oil can be replaced with ghee or butter.
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Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds.
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Add asafoetida and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds. Hing helps in digestion and avoid tummy problem after consuming rajma.
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Add onions. 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.
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Add ginger-garlic paste
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Sauté on a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are translucent and the raw aroma of garlic has gone
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Add tomatoes. If you want the rajma chawal to be tangier, then add a dash of anardana or amchoor powder.
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Add turmeric powder
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Add chilli powder. Add more or less as per the spice you prefer
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Add coriander-cumin seeds powder, and salt. Skip adding all the dry spices if you are making use of store-bought rajma masala as it contains all the spices
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Mix well and cook on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally
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Add rajma
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Add 1 cup of water
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Mix well and pressure cook for 4 whistles. Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. 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
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Add cooked rice. Before adding the rice, if you find the rajma too watery then cook without a lid till the excess water evaporates
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Mix gently and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally
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Add coriander to elevate the freshness in rajma
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Mix rajma chawal | Punjabi rajma chawal | how to make rajma chawal | gently and your rajma chawal is ready. Allow rajma rice to cool completely, and pack in an air-tight tiffin box if taking it for work lunch or packing for your kid’s lunch box.
| Energy | 261 cal |
| Protein | 7.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42.3 g |
| Fiber | 2.8 g |
| Fat | 7 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Vitamin A | 179.9 mcg |
| Vitamin B1 | 0.1 mg |
| Vitamin B2 | 0 mg |
| Vitamin B3 | 0.9 mg |
| Vitamin C | 7.4 mg |
| Folic Acid | 83.6 mcg |
| Calcium | 66.8 mg |
| Iron | 1.4 mg |
| Magnesium | 71.8 mg |
| Phosphorus | 145.1 mg |
| Sodium | 6.3 mg |
| Potassium | 332.4 mg |
| Zinc | 1.4 mg |
Lovely, quick and quite easy recipe. Tastes good.
Cooked it today. Initially the quantity ratio was hard to believe, but with all courage I started for 08members menu. Followed the exact quantity of each menu item. Ended up with a delicious rajma dish. Thanks for the recipe!!
It''s very simple to make and tasty too.
i love d your post.
Edited after original posting.
Hi Mam, In the ingredients, is the rajma quantity before soaking or after soaking?
Easy steps. Known ingredients. Dipper taste. Best explained. Thank you
Low effort, easy and quick and tasty recipe..