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Punjabi · Indian

Rajma

Vegetarian

राजमा · rajma

Red kidney beans simmered in a thick, spiced onion-tomato gravy. Eaten with rice as rajma chawal, it is one of North India's best-loved comfort meals.

Rajma is a Punjabi curry from India, ready in about 1 hour and made with kidney beans (canned), onion and garlic. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Rajma, AI-generated image of the finished dish
AI-generated image of this dish — not a photo of a real serving.
Prep
15 min
Cook
45 min
Total
1 h
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
296

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the cumin (opens in a new tab) and bay leaf (opens in a new tab), then the onion (opens in a new tab), and cook slowly until well browned.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and chilli and cook for a minute, then the tomatoes, ground coriander (opens in a new tab), chilli powder and turmeric (opens in a new tab). Cook, stirring, until thick and the oil separates.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat

  3. Step 3

    Add the beans, water and salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently, partly covered, mashing a ladleful of beans to thicken the gravy.

    • 20 min
    • medium-low heat
    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the garam masala (opens in a new tab), adjust the thickness with water, and garnish with coriander. Serve with rice.

    • 2 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Punjab and the northern hill states, Punjab, India · Commonly attributedMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Sautéed, Simmered
Taste
savoury, earthy, creamy, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-fibre
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-fibre · Carb-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Everyday · Budget-friendly · Freezer-friendly · Meal-prep friendly
Cook more with
Kidney beans (canned) · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Cumin · Bay leaves
Techniques
Sautéing · Boiling · Simmering · Bhunao

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

296 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 399 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 15%
  • Carbohydrate 49%
  • Fat 36%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy296 kcal74 kcal
Protein11.7 g2.9 g
Carbohydrate38.1 g9.6 g
Net carbohydrate27.6 g6.9 g
Sugars9.7 g2.4 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre10.6 g2.6 g
Fat12.3 g3.1 g
Saturated fat1.1 g0.3 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium1128 mg282 mg
Salt equivalent2.8 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
686 mg
Calcium
149 mg
Iron
3.5 mg
Magnesium
64 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
23 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
54 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: coriander leaves, basmati rice.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • A longer, slower simmer makes the gravy creamier — rajma is even better the next day.

Common mistakes

  • Using dried kidney beans that are not fully boiled: raw or undercooked kidney beans are toxic.

Serve with

  • Serve with steamed basmati rice, sliced onion and a wedge of lemon.

Food safety

  • If using dried kidney beans, soak overnight, discard the water, then boil hard for at least 10 minutes before simmering until soft.

Storage

  • Keeps 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.

Reheating

  • Reheat with a splash of water until bubbling.

Variations

  • Jammu-style rajma (India): Made with small, dark red Bhaderwah or Jammu rajma beans, which cook up very creamy.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 3, 4

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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