Name: rajma masala: kidney bean curry (vegan)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 medium red onion, cut into quarters; 5 cloves of garlic, peeled; 1 fresh jalapeno pepper (remove the seeds if you don’t want it too spicy); 1 - inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled; 2 pitted dates; 2 – 15 oz. (400 gm.) cans of crushed or whole tomatoes; 1 tsp. red chili powder; 1 Tbsp. ground coriander; 1 tsp. turmeric; 1 tsp. garam masala; 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds; 2 – 15 oz. (400 gm.) cans of red kidney beans drained and rinsed; ½ cup plant-milk (I used oat milk); 2 red onions, peeled, cut in half, and sliced into thin, half-moons; 1/2 cup raspberry vinegar, red wine vinegar, or merlot vinegar; 3 tbsp liquid sweetener such as agave syrup or vegan honey; 1/4 tsp sea salt

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Rajma masala, a creamy kidney bean curry, is bursting with flavorful spices and aromatics for a satisfying Punjabi-inspired plant-based dinner.

A black cast iron pot is filled with rajma masala topped with pickled red onions and chopped cilantro.

Just when I thought there couldn’t be another curry I hadn’t tried. Even though I already have a kidney bean curry, that I love. Yep, friends, there’s a new curry I’m excited to introduce to you. This one is so darned good that I even whipped up a batch of quick pickled red onions to make it even more special. Primo!

What’s in a word?

Rajma means kidney bean, and in the Punjabi region of India, there’s a lot of kidney bean curry happening. And these treats are not limited to India. The Punjabi style of cooking is probably the most recognizable to folks in the U.S. and U.K. It’s why so many of our curry creations depend on the aromatics, onions, garlic, and ginger, plus a wide variety of spices.

A blender is filled with red onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, ginger, and whole dates.

Choosing easy for the curry prep, I made a paste of the jalapenos, onions, garlic, and ginger along with 2 dates. The dates to sweeten it up and temper the heat of the aromatics. This ensures a bolder flavor that doesn’t dissipate because you won’t be sautéing them. When I first tried this method when making creamy tomato vegetable curry, I realized that this process also makes cooking without oil a breeze. There is enough moisture in the aromatics that there’s little sticking to the pan in the few minutes you need before adding the rest of your ingredients. That’s one for the books.

A blender is filled with tomatoes and spices that are labeled as cumin seeds, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and corinader.

When I think of spices, my mind immediately turns toward Indian cuisine – spices rule. Let’s face it, even Christopher Columbus knew that when he inadvertently discovered America. He was really looking for a quicker route to shop for spices.

Consistent with my ‘blend before add’ theme, I pureed the tomatoes along with the chili powder, coriander, cardamom, and turmeric. I reserved the cumin seeds for the beginning of the cooking process. Toasting cumin seeds for about a minute helps them release their essence. And there’s nothing like the smell of toasted cumin seeds to alert your kitchen that curry is about to happen.

6 pictures describe the cooking process for rajma masala.

Putting it all together

Once you have the chili paste blended and the tomato spice mixture ready, this recipe becomes a quick stove to oven preparation. I spent about 10 minutes at the stove, 5 of which was tasting and adjusting the spices. I didn’t add any salt, so this is a good time for that should you desire. Once that’s done, mix in the kidney beans and add ½ a cup of plant-milk (I used oat milk). Then everything goes into the oven. Then, you get about 40 minutes to make rice, clean up, or dance (hopefully, it’s the latter).

Pick your pot

I used my faithful cast iron pot for this dish. It’s my favorite because it holds the heat really well. It doesn't seem to care if it's on the stove or in the oven either. Your mouth is probably already watering thinking about this curry, so don’t try to quell those urges because you don't have the appropriate pot. You can start this recipe in a skillet or pot and then transfer it to a baking dish. Pot perfection isn’t going to stand in our way when we’re talking curry.

Quick pickled red onions in a black bowl with a spoon.

And to top it off

Have you tried my quick pickled red onions? You’ll see them featured a lot in so many recipes. When I discovered these several years ago, I seriously couldn’t believe it. How can it be that slicing red onions and letting them sit in a bath of vinegar, agave syrup, and a pinch of salt is this good? Pickled onions taste amazing on burgers, wraps, even pizzas, and divine on a spicy curry.

You can whip these up in minutes. Personally, I find it’s better if you massage the onions for a minute or two to get them started. The only trick is to allow for an hour of marinating time. That’s easy enough. Start the onions before you start the curry prep. Pickled onions keep in the fridge for several days (maybe longer, I've never kept them longer). That means you can make them anytime and spruce up a salad or a hummus wrap.

Rajma masala is served over rice and served with pickled red onions and sweet potato flatbread.

Final Thoughts

Rajma curry is the perfect example of how you can happily and seamlessly incorporate healthy plant-based eating into your diet. We learned how to make a paste, so we didn’t fret about not using any oil. The heavy cream, traditionally used in such a recipe, was replaced by plant milk. We used dates as a natural sweetener. Simple alterations change nothing about the creamy, savory flavor. You get the added satisfaction of another great recipe that meets all the stands we strive for when eating healthfully. Peace.

rajma masala: kidney bean curry

What’s in a word?

Putting it all together

Pick your pot

And to top it off

Final Thoughts