Rajma

Anisha Chandra brings a comforting twist to South Asia's beloved bean curry, layering it with aromatic cardamom, herbal fenugreek, sweet cinnamon, and warming cloves. Our Speckled Bayo complements this cozy dish, its hearty texture and meaty flavor naturally fit the rich, spiced gravy (traditionally made with kidney beans). Don't skip the mortar and pestle step, freshly crushed spices unlock a depth of flavor that makes this dish unforgettable.

Creator notes Rajma is one of those meals that instantly takes me back to coming home after school—warm, comforting, and beautifully simple. No matter where life takes me or who I'm sharing it with, beans never let me down. – Anisha Chandra (@upbeetanisha)

What Is Rajma?

Rajma is a beloved North Indian dish of kidney beans (rajma in Hindi) cooked in a thick, spiced tomato-based gravy. It's comfort food in the truest sense, the kind of dish people grow up eating, the kind that feels like home. Traditionally served over rice (rajma chawal is a classic combination), it's filling, flavorful, and deeply satisfying.

The dish relies on a complex spice blend, whole spices that are crushed just before cooking to release their essential oils and create layers of flavor. This isn't a quick curry where you dump in some curry powder. This is about building flavor through technique and using quality whole spices.

Anisha's version uses Speckled Bayo beans instead of traditional kidney beans, creating something that honors the original while offering a different texture and flavor profile.

The Star: Speckled Bayo Beans

Let's talk about Speckled Bayo beans, beautiful tan beans speckled with darker markings. These beans have a hearty texture and meaty, slightly nutty flavor that makes them perfect for rich, spiced curries like rajma.

What makes Speckled Bayo beans ideal for this dish is how they hold up to long pressure cooking while becoming tender and creamy inside. They absorb the spiced tomato gravy beautifully, each bean becoming infused with all those wonderful aromatics, cardamom, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, cinnamon, cloves.

Their meaty texture and substantial quality make them feel right in this dish, even though they're not traditional kidney beans. They provide the same satisfying heartiness while offering their own distinctive flavor.

The Spice Blend

The spice blend is what makes rajma special, and this one is comprehensive and complex. Let's break down what each spice contributes:

• Coriander and cumin seeds (crushed): Earthy, warm foundation
• Turmeric: Color, earthiness, subtle bitterness
• Indian dried red chilis (finely crushed): Heat and flavor
• Kashmiri chili powder: Vibrant red color, mild heat
• Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves): Distinctive herbal, slightly bitter note
• Black and green cardamom: Warm, aromatic, slightly sweet (black is smokier)
• Cloves: Sweet, warm, intensely aromatic
• Black peppercorns: Heat and bite
• Cinnamon sticks: Sweet warmth
• Ground ginger: Warm, slightly spicy

Crushing these spices fresh (except the already-ground turmeric, chili powder, and ginger) releases their essential oils and creates a fragrance and flavor that pre-ground spices simply can't match. Don't skip this step, it's what makes the dish unforgettable.

The Instant Pot Method

This recipe is designed for the Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker, which makes rajma accessible for weeknight cooking. Traditionally, rajma simmers for hours on the stovetop. The pressure cooker achieves similar results in a fraction of the time.

You start by sautéing onions in oil until translucent, building a sweet, aromatic base. Crushed tomatoes (or processed fresh roma tomatoes) go in next with salt, cooking down for 4-5 minutes until they reduce slightly and concentrate.

The spice blend gets added and cooked for a minute, this blooming step releases the spices' aromatics and flavors before the liquid goes in. Then you add the dried beans and 6 cups of water, seal the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for 37 minutes.

The Finishing

After pressure cooking, you may need to simmer the rajma a bit longer if the beans aren't completely tender or if you want to concentrate the liquid further. The gravy should be thick and rich, coating the beans, not soupy.

Taste and adjust salt, beans need generous seasoning, and you likely added salt only to the tomatoes initially, so the final dish will need more.

Serving

Rajma is traditionally served hot with rice (the classic rajma chawal combination) or roti (Indian flatbread). Fresh cilantro leaves scattered on top add brightness and color. Lemon slices provide acidity to squeeze over each serving. And plain yogurt (raita) on the side adds cooling creaminess that balances the warm spices.

The combination of hot rajma, fluffy basmati rice, a squeeze of lemon, a dollop of cool yogurt, and fresh cilantro is deeply comforting and satisfying. It's the kind of meal that makes you understand why Anisha says it takes her back to coming home after school.

The Comfort Factor

What makes rajma so beloved is how it combines simplicity with deep flavor. The ingredients are humble, beans, tomatoes, onions, spices. But the technique and the care in preparing the spice blend create something extraordinary.

It's the kind of dish you make when you want comfort, when you want to feed people you love, when you want your home to smell amazing. And as Anisha notes, "beans never let me down." There's something reliable and grounding about a good pot of beans in rich gravy, something that feels nurturing and satisfying in a fundamental way.

Make It Your Own

While Anisha's spice blend is comprehensive, rajma is adaptable. Some families add garam masala at the end. Others include butter or cream for richness. Some like it spicier, others milder. The basic technique, onions, tomatoes, spices, beans, pressure cook, can be adjusted to your taste.

But don't skip crushing those whole spices fresh. That's non-negotiable if you want rajma that tastes like it should, complex, aromatic, unforgettable.

Leftovers

Rajma is one of those dishes that's even better the next day. The flavors meld and deepen as it sits. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if it's gotten too thick. Serve with fresh rice or roti, and it's like having that comforting meal all over again.

A Dish That Feels Like Home

What makes this recipe special is how it captures that feeling Anisha describes, coming home after school to something warm, comforting, and beautifully simple. Rajma isn't fancy or complicated (once you get past crushing all those spices). It's just good, honest food that nourishes both body and spirit.

And with Speckled Bayo beans adding their own hearty texture and meaty flavor, this version feels both authentic and new, honoring tradition while creating something distinctive and delicious.

Rajma

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Category

Main Course

Cuisine

Indian

Anisha Chandra brings a comforting twist to South Asia's beloved bean curry, layering it with aromatic cardamom, herbal fenugreek, sweet cinnamon, and warming cloves. Don't skip the mortar and pestle step—freshly crushed spices unlock a depth of flavor that makes this dish unforgettable.

Creator notes Rajma is one of those meals that instantly takes me back to coming home after school—warm, comforting, and beautifully simple. No matter where life takes me or who I'm sharing it with, beans never let me down. – Anisha Chandra (@upbeetanisha)

Featured bean: Speckled Bayo 

Ingredients

Spice blend

• 2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed

• 2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed

• 2 tsp ground turmeric

• 4 small Indian dried red chilis, finely crushed*

• 2 tsp kashmiri chili powder

• 2 tsp kasoori methi or dried fenugreek leaves

• 2 black cardamom, husks removed and seeds crushed

• 4 green cardamoms, husks removed and seeds crushed

• 4 cloves, crushed

• 10 black peppercorns, crushed

• 2 sticks cinnamon, crushed

• 1 tsp ground ginger

Rajma

• 2 cups dried Speckled Bayo beans

• 2 tbsp avocado oil or another neutral oil

• 1 white onion, finely chopped

• 2 cups crushed tomatoes (or 4 processed ripe roma tomatoes)

• 1½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

For serving

• Cilantro leaves, lemon slices, plain yogurt, roti or rice

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Directions

1. In an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Add crushed tomatoes and salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes, allowing tomatoes to reduce. Add spice blend and mix well. Cook for a minute, stirring occasionally, before adding beans and water. Add beans and 6 cups water. Pressure cook for 37 minutes at high pressure. Simmer any additional time to concentrate the liquid or if the beans aren't cooked through. Add additional salt to taste and serve hot with cilantro leaves, lemon, plain yogurt, and roti or rice.

Recipe Note

*If you can't find these chilis, add ½ to 1 tsp additional kashmiri chili powder.

Tools: Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker