Kidney Beans /Rajma /Maharagwe with Chicken

Servings : Serves 2-3

A very nutritious, tasty dish that goes beautifully with boiled rice or parathas. Kidney beans are some of the healthiest most nutritious beans to have in one’s diet. They are full of proteins. I have several ways that I normally prepare them. This is a simple recipe with boneless chicken added lastly to the beans for extra nutrients and flavour.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup kidney beans, washed then soaked overnight
  • 3 big fresh tomatoes
  • 3-4 leaves methi/fenugreek
  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 1 big onion chopped very fine or grated
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic paste
  • 1/4 tsp ginger paste
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves n stems, chopped
  • 1-2 green chillies (can be increased or omitted according to taste)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 chicken breast, cubed and boiled with salt, garlic and ginger until tender

Instructions

Drain the soaked kidney beans, they will have expanded to about 2-3 times the original volume.

Blend the tomatoes with their skin, along with the coriander leaves and the green chillies to a smooth paste.

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, add the fenugreek leaves, followed by the garlic and ginger paste. Stir for a minute, then add the onions. Fry until they are translucent. Add the tomato paste and the spices (cumin, turmeric, coriander powders) and let these fry for a few minutes on low heat. Then add the blended tomatoes and let this cook/simmer until the gravy thickens and the raw tomato smell diminishes.

Next, add the kidney beans plus some salt and stir together for a few minutes. Finally add about 3-4 cups water and let it come to a boil. Cover the pressure cooker, and cook on medium heat for about 10-12 minutes. Once the pressure/steam is released, open the pressure cooker and check the beans. If they are done, sprinkle with a bit of coriander leaves and serve. If not yet, cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes. This depends on the type of kidney beans you have, some take longer than others.

If you prefer more gravy with your beans, you can add some water after the kidney beans are done and let it simmer for a few minutes. Mash some of the kidney beans to thicken the gravy to a lovely rich consistency. Simmer for a few minutes, then add in the boiled chicken cubes. Cook together for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat. You can season with a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Serve with parathas, bread, naan or rice. 🙂

2 thoughts on “Kidney Beans /Rajma /Maharagwe with Chicken
2 Replies
  • Assalam o alaikum Fauzia
    Assalam o alaikum Fauzia

    At last I found a good recipe for red beans/rajma — I tried it and it was fantastic — I do make gravies using coconut milk but this one tasted entirely different — cumin and coriander might have done the magic — every1 in my family loved it — thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe
    all the best for the future
    Simmz

  • Asa, I never used to enjoy cooking (been married for 3 years) but found your website only last week and never enjoyed it so much. The recipes are easy to follow and they all come out delicious! I’ll be making this tomorrow- can’t wait. Thank you so much x

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