What comes to your mind when we say rajma-chawal? For the people of the northern part of India, it defines ultimate comfort. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Rajma-Chawal defines the food culture of the region. Steamed kidney beans, cooked in a spicy curry and served with rice and salad – the thali makes for a nutritious meal anytime of the day. He is not everything. It is rich in protein, fiber and fulfills the core. Plus, kidney beans are low in fat and cholesterol free, making it ideal for those who like to keep their diet clean and healthy.
If you ask us what we love the most about rajma is its versatility! Apart from the quintessential Rajma curry, this bean is also used to prepare a wide variety of dishes including kebabs, salads and more. Be that as it may, the first thing to make any rajma-based recipe is to soak it overnight. Rajma is a tough legume that needs time to boil. Hence, we prefer to soak it in water for six to eight hours or overnight. This helps soften the outer shell and makes it easier to boil.
But what if we forget to soak the rajma beforehand?! Don’t worry, we’ve found the perfect solution. Celebrity chef Pankaj Bhadauria recently shared a quick way to cook rajma without soaking it overnight. She took to Instagram to share her expert tip and wrote, “Beans, kidney beans, chickpeas need to be soaked for at least 6-8 hours before cooking. Here’s to reducing the time to just 30 minutes.” There’s a recipe to help you!”
How to cook Rajma without soaking it in water for 6-8 hours:
According to Chef Pankaj, all you have to do is take out the rajma in a bowl, add boiling water to it. Make sure the water level is higher than the bed of kidney beans. Close the lid and leave it for half an hour. And your soft Rajma is ready. You can do the same for other legumes including chickpeas and black chickpeas (black urad lentils).
Have a look at the full post:
Now that you’ve got a quick tip, what are you waiting for? Soak some rajma immediately and after 30 minutes make a bowl of rajma rice. For the Classic Rajma Rice recipe, click here.
For other kidney beans-based recipes, click here,
About Somdutt SahuInvestigator- Somdutt likes to call this himself. In the matter of food, people or places, she only wants to know the unknown. A simple aglio oleo pasta or dal-rice and a good movie can make his day.