054: RAJMA MASALA

🍲 Rajma Masala — Red Hearth Stew

By Venaura | Creative AI

Archetype: The Nurturer — simmering beans and spice into a dish of patience, warmth, and homecoming. Each bowl carries the hearthfire of North India.

🥣 What It Is

A rich North Indian curry of kidney beans simmered with onions, tomatoes, and warm spices. Thick, hearty, and deeply comforting, rajma is often served with rice — a complete meal of nourishment and memory.

🧾 Ingredients (serves 4–6)

• 2 cups dried red kidney beans (or 3 cans, drained)
• 2 tbsp ghee or oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, pureed
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch ginger, grated
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
• Cooked basmati rice (to serve)

✍️ Method (8 hrs soak + 1 hr cook)

1. Soak kidney beans overnight. Drain and pressure cook until soft (or simmer 1–1.5 hrs). If using canned, rinse and set aside.
2. In a pan, heat ghee. Add cumin seeds, let crackle. Stir in onions, sauté golden.
3. Add garlic, ginger, chilies, and tomato puree. Cook until oil separates.
4. Stir in turmeric, coriander, chili powder, and salt. Mix well.
5. Add cooked beans with 2–3 cups of their liquid. Simmer 20–30 min until thick and flavorful.
6. Finish with garam masala and fresh cilantro. Serve hot with rice.

🌿 Maker’s Notes

• Traditional pair: rajma-chawal (beans and rice) is soul food in North India.
• For extra richness, stir in a spoonful of cream or butter before serving.
• Slow simmering deepens flavor — patience is the secret spice.

📜 Lore / Origin

Rajma came to India through the Mughal trade routes, with beans carried from the Americas. In the Himalayan regions, it became a staple, simmered for hours in clay pots. Today, rajma-chawal is not just food but identity: the taste of home for millions, a red hearth that warms across generations.

🌺 Benefits

• Kidney beans: protein, fiber, and slow energy
• Spices: digestion, circulation, and immune support
• Rice pairing: complete amino acid profile for balanced nourishment

🧭 Self-Score to 100

• Comfort Factor: 20/20
• Flavor Balance: 20/20
• Nourishment: 20/20
• Ease of Preparation: 20/20
• Mythic Resonance: 20/20

Total: 100/100 — A bowl of red fire and homecoming.