Rajma

Name: Rajma
Ingredients: 1 pound dried red beans, any kind, rinsed and picked over; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste; 2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil; 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Pinch of ground cloves; 1 tablespoon ground cardamom; 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned are fine); Salt to taste; 1 tablespoon garam masala (page 594) or curry powder, preferably homemade (pages 592593), or to taste

14 ingredients

9 steps

Ingredients

1 pound dried red beans, any kind, rinsed and picked over
1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned are fine)
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon garam masala (page 594) or curry powder, preferably homemade (pages 592593), or to taste

Directions

1

If time allows, soak dried beans for several hours or overnight, then drain.
2

(If not, proceed, but expect cooking times to be somewhat longer.)
3

Place the drained beans in a large pot with water to cover and the cayenne and cook until they are just about tender; this will take 1 to 2 hours, depending on their freshness and whether you soaked them.
4

Continue to cook while you proceed to step 2.
5

Put the oil in a wide skillet or flameproof casserole over medium heat.
6

Add the ginger, garlic, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, and turmeric and cook, stirring, for about a minute.
7

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they break up a bit, 5 minutes or so.
8

Drain the beans, reserving a little of their cooking liquid, and add them to the tomato sauce, along with a large pinch of salt.
9

Continue to cook until the beans are fully tender, probably less than 15 minutes longer, adding a little of the bean-cooking liquid if necessary.When the beans are done, add the garam masala, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.