Rajma Channa Masala or Rajma Chole is an easy side dish for Rotis. This is yet another easy and simple one that was stored away under Channa dishes. Amma has been making this for a while now and sometimes as I think why I never click our regular weekly menu.
As I had said, of late we have been storing soaked lentils and use them when we run short of ideas. This is one such dish that gets done impromptu. Cooking with Rajma is always tricky as it doesn't get evenly boiled.
However soaking it for a little longer and then pressure cooking it for a couple more times than you normally do, should get you evenly and nicely cooked Rajma. The same has been happening with channa as well. So these days I pressure cook for nearly 6 -7 times and then use it in the gravy.
Coming back to things that have kept us going, this weekend we are traveling, so this was a hurried scheduled post that you are reading. Will be back with a more relaxed and detailed post next week. Until then, enjoy your long weekend.
Rajma Channa Masala
Ingredients Needed:
Rajma - 1 cup
Kabuli Channa - 1 cup
Onion puree - 3/4 cup
Minced Onions - 1/4 cup
Minced ginger and garlic - 3/4 tsp
Green Chilies - 1 long, slit
Tomato puree - 1 cup
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Bay Leaf - 1 long
Cardamon - 2
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Kasuri Methi - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves handful
Salt to taste
Butter - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
How to make the Rajma chole
Wash and soak the rajma and channa separately overnight. Change waters a couple of times, and pressure cook with a pinch of salt, till soft. Reserve the water.
Heat a nonstick pan with oil and butter, add the whole spices, saute for a couple of mins.
Then add the green chilies, minced ginger, garlic, saute well. Now add the minced onions, saute till the colour changes.
Next, add the onion puree and cook till everything comes together as well cooked. Now add the tomato puree, boiled lentils, all the spice powders, mix well and simmer till the masala coat the lentils well.
Add the reserved water and add more water if required depending on the gravy you want. Adjust the spices and simmer till it boils to a thick gravy.
Finally, add the Kasuri methi and coriander leaves.
Serve with rotis, bhaturas
Notes:
Both rajma and chana can be boiled separately or together depending on how well it has been soaked. Normally rajma takes a little longer time to cook, so maybe pressure cook that first and then add the channa.
Since whole spices are added, there is no need to add garam masala. However, if you want, you can sprinkle a pinch towards the end.
Recipe
Rajma Channa Masala
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rajma
- 1 cup Kabuli Channa
- 3/4 cup Onion puree
- 1/4 cup Onions minced
- 3/4 tsp Ginger and Garlic minced
- 1 long Green Chilies slit
- 1 cup Tomato Puree
- 2 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 1 long Bay Leaf
- 2 Cardamon
- 1 tsp Red Chili powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder Roasted
- A pinch Turmeric Powder
- 1/4 tsp Kasuri Methi
- Coriander leaves handful
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp Butter
- 1 tsp Oil
Instructions
- Wash and soak the rajma and channa separately overnight. Change waters couple of times, and pressure cook with a pinch of salt, till soft. Reserve the water.
- Heat a non stick pan with oil and butter, add the whole spices, saute for couple of mins.
- Then add the green chilies, minced ginger, garlic, saute well. Now add the minced onions, saute till the colour changes.
- Next add the onion puree and cook till everything comes together as well cooked. Now add the tomato puree, boiled lentils, all the spice powders, mix well and simmer till the masala coat the lentils well.
- Add the reserved water and add more water if required depending on the gravy you want. Adjust the spices and simmer till it boils to a thick gravy.
- Finally add the kasuri methi and coriander leaves.
- Serve with rotis, bhaturas
Mayuri Patel says
That's a unique combination of kabuli chana and rajma.
Sangeetha Nambi says
Delicious combo !
Ramya Venkateswaran says
That's a healthy filling curry
Archana Potdar says
I want some of this when I come down Valli.
MonuTeena RecipesPassion says
such a tempting yummyyyy recipe
Chef Mireille says
all those spices - so flavorful
Usha says
I don't cook rajma that much and soak & boil it as & when needed. Chickpeas is a differ story. I usually soak overnight, cook in the pressure cooker and freeze. This cooked chickpeas come very hand.
Never tried rajma and chickpeas combination.