An easy Instant Pot recipe for a traditional Indian red kidney beans curry called Rajma. This popular comfort food can be made with dry or canned beans and is best enjoyed with steamed basmati rice in a dish called Rajma Chawal, or fresh homemade roti.
Enjoy this authentic recipe for Punjabi rajma masala!
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This recipe always brings back sweet childhood memories for me. Piping hot Rajma served over steamed basmati rice used to be (and still is!) at the top of my comfort foods list. And my mom would make this for lunch on my birthday.... every year 🙂
My mom makes Rajma in a 2-step process. She pressure cooks the soaked beans with salt and turmeric. Simultaneously, she prepares an onion-tomato gravy in another pan and seasons it with ground Indian spices. Then, she simmers the cooked beans with this gravy for a few minutes.
I LOVE my mom's recipe, but I wanted to simplify it and make it a one-step process. So, I tweaked it a bit and ended up with this one-pot recipe. I hope you enjoy this simplified version!
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What is Rajma?
Rajma is the Hindi word for kidney Beans. Rajma masala is a vegetarian curry from the Indian subcontinent, made with red kidney beans in an onion-tomato gravy with warm Indian spices. It is usually served with rice.
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Why You Will Love this Recipe
- Rajma, or kidney beans, are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. They are nutritious, inexpensive and widely available, which is why they are a staple food in so many cultures around the world.
- This Rajma recipe pairs beautifully with steamed white basmati rice or brown rice, which makes this one tasty vegan and gluten-free meal.
- This recipe is a simplified version in which I cook the beans and gravy, all in the same pot.
- You also have the option to cook rice in the same pot as the beans, using the pot-in-pot method, which made this a perfect weeknight dinner option!
Looking for more recipes like this, check out: Top 10 Indian Vegetarian Recipes for your Instant Pot
How to Make Rajma in Instant Pot
This easy and satisfying Rajma masala can be made with dried beans, fresh aromatics, and commonly used Indian spices. Let's take a look at the ingredients first.
Ingredients- Notes & Substitutions
Kidney Beans: In this recipe, I use dried dark kidney beans. You can also use other varieties like Rajma Chitra, Jammu Rajma. If using canned kidney beans, you will need two 15-ounce cans.
Aromatics: Use any color of onions you have on hand. Finely chop them using a chopper or food processor for convenience. I use fresh ginger garlic paste for the best flavor. Alternatively, you can use frozen ginger and garlic paste. I add serrano chilies for a little heat but feel free to skip them if you like.
Tomatoes: I use 2 Roma or plum tomatoes, but you can also use 1 cup of canned crushed tomatoes instead.
Spices: This recipe uses common Indian spices like garam masala, coriander, cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder, and turmeric. Feel free to substitute the red chili powder with paprika for a mild spice level.
Garnish: Fresh cilantro leaves add a vibrant contrast to this curry, giving it a pop of color and freshness.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
Step by Step Directions
If using dry kidney beans, rinse and soak them overnight, or at least for 8 hours. Rinse and drain them before using. If using canned beans, rinse them till water runs clear and drain them.
- Turn the Instant Pot on SAUTE mode, adjust to more. Wait till the display reads 'hot'. Add oil or ghee and cumin seeds. (pic 1)
- When the cumin seeds begin to sizzle (a few seconds), add chopped onions, green chilies and crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes, till onions soften. (pic 2, 3 & 4)
- Add crushed tomatoes, salt, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander, cayenne and paprika. Saute for 1 minute. (pic 5)
- Add drained and rinsed kidney beans to the pot. Add fresh water and stir to deglaze the pot. Scrape off any brown bits stuck at the bottom. Cancel Saute. (pic 6)
- Close the lid and set the valve to sealing position. Cook on Bean/Chili or Pressure Cook mode for 30 minutes. (pic 7). If using canned kidney beans, reduce this time to 5 minutes followed by a natural pressure release.
- After the cooking time is done, wait for the pressure to release naturally (NPR). (pic 8)
- Open the lid after the pin drops and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm with white or brown basmati rice.
Tip for a Creamy and Thick Curry: To thicken the consistency of the gravy, I mash a ladle-full of beans with a fork and add them back to the curry. This not only thickens the curry but also makes it more creamy in texture.
How to Make Rajma Chawal
In northern India, the pairing of beans and rice is called Rajma Chawal, where Rajma refers to any variety of kidney beans, and, Chawal means rice in Hindi.
You can cook Rajma Chawal in the same pot using the Pot-in-Pot technique. There are two options for that:
Dried soaked Kidney Beans Curry with Brown basmati rice: Assemble beans curry in the cooking pot. Now combine brown rice, water, salt, and oil in any oven-safe cooking bowl that fits easily in the Instant Pot. Place a trivet in the cooking pot and place the rice bowl on top of that. Close the lid and pressure cook for 30 mins followed by natural pressure release for 10 minutes.
Canned kidney beans with white basmati rice: Assemble curry in the main pot. Combine white basmati rice with water, salt, and oil in an oven-safe bowl. Place trivet in the main pot, now place the rice bowl on top. Pressure cook for 6 minutes on high pressure, followed by natural pressure release for 10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve rajma with a vegetable side dish, a starch, along with a creamy Indian yogurt dip called raita, and enjoy a satisfying Indian Vegetarian Meal. Here's what to serve with rajma:
- Cumin Rice, or Brown basmati rice
- Aloo Gobi, Bhindi Masala, or Green Beans and Carrot
- Cucumber Raita, Avocado Raita, or Boondi Raita
Rajma Recipe Variations
- Rajma with Unsoaked Beans: If you forgot to soak the beans or want to skip the overnight soaking process, Simply rinse and drain the dried beans. Add them in the recipe as per instructions and set a cooking time of 55 mins on bean/Chili or Pressure Cook mode.
Note: Add an extra ½ cup of water as the dried beans will soak up more water to cook.
- Using Canned Kidney Beans: For weeknights, using canned red kidney beans and crushed tomatoes in the same recipe makes this comfort meal possible in 30 minutes.
Simply rinse and drain the canned beans and add to the pot. Follow the remaining directions and set a 6 minute pressure cooking time on Manual/Pressure cook mode. Cook white basmati or jasmine rice PIP at the same time and enjoy a complete meal!
- Cook Rajma without onion and garlic: You can skip the onions and garlic in this recipe.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Dry Beans: I prefer to use soaked dry Rajma in this recipe. It makes for the tastiest curry with beans that are creamy on the inside. Dried soaked beans are also relatively easy to digest.
- Unsoaked Beans: If using unsoaked beans, simply rinse and drain dried beans and set a cooking time of 55-60 mins on bean/Chili or Pressure Cook mode. Add an extra cup of water as the dried beans will soak up more water to cook.
- Canned Beans: If short on time, this recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes using canned Red Kidney beans instead. Simply rinse and drain them and add following recipe directions.
- Varying Cook times: The actual cook time varies depending on the size and variety of kidney beans used. For larger varieties (around ¼ inch), increase pressure-cooking time to 40 minutes.
- Creamy Thick 'Punjabi-style' Curry: To thicken the consistency of the gravy, I mash a ladle-full of beans with a fork and add them back to the curry.
- Pot-in-Pot Meal: If using canned kidney beans, you can cook white basmati rice with it using the PIP method. Similarly, you can cook brown rice along with dried soaked beans, however, the texture of rice will be softer than usual due to the extra few minutes of cooking time.
Frequently Asked Questions
The English name for rajma is kidney beans.
Red kidney beans come in a few different varieties. They vary in color and size, which results in different pressure cooking times. This recipe uses a medium-size dark kidney bean variety, in which the beans are typically around ¼-inch long. If using the larger variety of kidney beans, increase the pressure cooking time to 40-45 mins.
I always soak the beans as I find them easier to digest this way.
I soak the beans overnight, but you can soak them anywhere from 8 hours to overnight.
If the beans are hard, they are undercooked. Some varieties may take longer to cook through, so cook them for another 5-10 minutes. If the beans are still hard after 45-50 minutes of pressure cooking (soaked beans), then they are most likely old beans and won't get tender. In this case, it is best to discard them.
More Indian Beans Recipes
These recipes are part of the Instant Pot Bean Recipes Collection.
📖 Recipe
Rajma Recipe - Rajma Masala
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Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Red Kidney Beans Dry (Rajma) soaked overnight, OR, 2 Cans Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon Light Olive Oil or Ghee
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seed
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste ½ inch ginger + 3 cloves garlic
- 2 green chillies whole or de-seeded (Optional)
- 2 medium tomatoes pureed, OR, 1 cup Crushed Tomatoes
- 1.5 cups water
Spices
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala (can add more after cooking if needed)
- 2 teaspoons Ground Coriander
- 1 teaspoon Roasted Ground Cumin (or regular cumin powder)
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder (or Paprika for mild flavor)
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Prep: If using dry kidney beans, rinse and soak them overnight. Drain them before use. Chop onions and crush ginger-garlic. You can do that by pulsing them together in a mini food processor. Puree tomatoes if using fresh.
- Turn the Instant Pot on SAUTE mode, adjust to more. Wait till the display reads 'hot'. Add oil or ghee and cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds begin to sizzle (a few seconds), add chopped onions, green chilies and crushed ginger and garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes, till onions soften.
- Add crushed tomatoes, salt, turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander, cayenne and paprika. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add drained and rinsed kidney beans to the pot. Add fresh water and stir to deglaze the pot. Scrape off any brown bits stuck at the bottom. Cancel Saute.
- Close the lid and set the valve to sealing position. Cook on Bean/Chili or Pressure Cook mode for 30 minutes.
- After the cooking time is done, wait for the pressure to release naturally (NPR). Open the lid after the pin drops and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm with white or brown basmati rice.
Notes
- Dry Beans: I prefer to use soaked dry Rajma in this recipe. It makes for the tastiest curry with beans that are creamy on the inside. Dried soaked beans are also relatively easy to digest.
- Unsoaked Beans: If using unsoaked beans, simply rinse and drain dried beans and set a cooking time of 55-60 mins on bean/Chili or Pressure Cook mode. Add an extra cup of water as the dried beans will soak up more water to cook.
- Canned Beans: If short on time, this recipe can be made in less than 30 minutes using canned Red Kidney beans instead. Simply rinse and drain them and add following recipe directions.
- Varying Cook times: The actual cook time varies depending on the size and variety of kidney beans used. For larger varieties (around ¼ inch), increase pressure-cooking time to 40 minutes.
- Creamy Thick 'Punjabi-style' Curry: To thicken the consistency of the gravy, I mash a ladle-full of beans with a fork and add them back to the curry.
- Pot-in-Pot Meal: If using canned kidney beans, you can cook white basmati rice with it using the PIP method. Similarly, you can cook brown rice along with dried soaked beans, however, the texture of rice will be softer than usual due to the extra few minutes of cooking time.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in 2017 but was recently updated with new photos, helpful information, tips, and step-by-step photos.
Heidi says
I cannot believe how delicious and flavorful this was. So incredibly satisfying for a vegetarian dish. It will definitely be going into rotation at my house. Another winner from you!
Aneesha Gupta says
That's great to hear Heidi! This Rajma recipe is one of my all-time favorites. I highly recommend trying the Chana Masala if you haven't already 🙂
Laura says
Greetings! I made this recipe last night and it is so delicious. Thank you for sharing it.
Aneesha Gupta says
Hi Laura, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to rate this recipe 🙏🏼
surender says
This
Rajma Masala recipe sounds comforting and delicious! Can't wait to try it with some rice. Thank you for sharing!
Aneesha Gupta says
You're welcome, Surender! I hope you enjoy it!
Brian says
Delicious and easy to make. Like so many "curries," the flavor continues to develop for several hours after cooking is complete. Plan to let it "rest" for at least an hour.
Aneesha says
Thank you, Brian. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I hope you try and enjoy more beans recipes on the blog: https://spicecravings.com/instant-pot-bean-recipes
Parm says
Hello Aneesha, how long do you pressure cook in Instant Pot if using canned beans? Thank you
Aneesha says
Hi Parm, you can pressure cook it for 5 minutes if using canned beans. Enjoy!
Dr. J says
This was absolutely amazing. I had another rajma recipe I had been using, but after finding this one I threw the other out! I managed to have all the spices on hand, and it was pretty easy to make and I followed the ingredient list closely, except for adjusting it to use a whole bag of beans. This is one of our new favorites!
Aneesha says
Hi Dr.J, thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe 🙂
Jay Williams says
Bless you, Aneesha, for a really splendid recipe and beautifully clear instructions.
The supermarket sent dried kidney beans instead of the tins I’d ordered (typical lockdown problem). This was the perfect solution. The rajma and rice were delicious. It was a big hit and I know we’ll make it again.
Thanks again!
Aneesha says
Hi Jay, thank you so much for such a sweet comment. I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, it's comfort food for me 🙂 Thanks again!
Jay Williams says
Hi Aneesha - it's four years on and I am still making this recipe regularly for my family, and always to great enthusiasm.
My son's home for a week and ramja is one of the home cooked treats he's looking forward to. Many thanks for such a delicious and reliable healthy meal.
Aneesha says
How sweet! Thank you so much Jay. I'm very happy that your family enjoys this recipe- it's my favorite too!
Kelly says
Hello - how many people does this feed? How much per serving?
Aneesha says
Hi Kelly, the recipe card mentions that. 1 cup dried or 2 cans will feed about 4-5 people.
Harsh says
I made this recipe last night and it turned out awesome. I have been looking for a good Rajma recipe for a while and i think i may have found one to stick to. The instructions are simple, not too many ingredients and the video is a great help. Also the notes about the different scenarios are great.
The only thing that i need to change for our home is probably reduce the coriander powder from 2 tsp to 1 or 1.5, because there was a bit of sharpness to the taste, but it could also be based on my tolerance.
Aneesha says
Hi Harsh, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for sharing your feedback! The sharpness in coriander's taste can vary from brand to brand, so it's a good idea to tweak it to your liking. Thanks again!
Savitri says
So delicious ???????????? !!!
Made with 1 cup of soaked kidney beans a few days ago.
I cooked it on high pressure for 40 minutes just to be sure, because I was unsure whether my organic kidney beans are normal size or large size for American standards (I didn't know that multiple sizes of kidney beans exist until I read that in the recipe description).
It was just cooked enough, next time I'll cook it for 45 minutes.
Just like I did with another (also delicious) recipe (https://spicecravings.com/instant-pot-chana-masala) made 2 days ago, I added the following after high pressure cooking:
150 grams of very finely chopped organic spinach, leftover white basmati rice and extra with this recipe I added 100 grams of frozen organic kale cubes and heated everything briefly on the sauté setting.
I served it with birambi chutney.
The combination of everything was so delicious !!!
I omitted the 2 green chilies because I also used 1 teaspoon of kashmiri red chili powder and estimated it would be spicy enough for my 6 year old twin daughters.
And indeed, one daughter thought it was spicy enough.
But my other daughter surprised me by wanting birambi chutney for the first time (while she once tasted it and thought it was too spicy at the time).
Even after eating 1 small tablespoon (not pure of course, but together with the chana masala) she asked for more.
Thanks again Aneesha ????.
Greetings from us ???????????? from The Netherlands.
Aneesha says
Hi Savitri, I'm so happy to hear that the girls enjoyed it too! Kids do surprise us with their spice tolerance 🙂 As for cooking time, I recently started using 24 mantra organic brand and even those take 45 minutes to get to the creamy texture. I'll add a note about organic Rajma.
Alice says
If using canned beans cut way down on the water. I added 1 cup instead of 1.5, 1/2 or 3/4 would have been better. But so delicious! We moved to the country where there are NO Indian or Mediterranean eateries, do I am trying to learn to cook them myself.
Aneesha says
Hi Alice, Thank you, I'm very glad you enjoyed this recipe. You made the right decision by cutting down water for canned beans, I'll add that to the recipe notes. I hope you try some other mediterranean and Indian recipes on the blog- even Ethiopian, you'll be surprised with the flavors:)
Pamela says
I made this tonight but did not use my Instant Pot, simply because I used canned beans and wanted the extra simmer as I made my bread. I also left out the cayenne to suit my taste but otherwise made with the ingredients and measurements stated. The taste was spot on. Loved it and will make again.
aneeshasg says
Hi Pamela, that is awesome! I'm glad you customized the recipe to your liking. Thanks for sharing your feedback! If you haven't already, please click on the stars and rate the recipe, it helps other readers! Thanks much!