Rajma Pulao | Red Kidney Beans Pulao

Today I am here with Rajma Pulao recipe. This flavorful one pot meal is vegan and gluten free. From start to finish, it took less than 30 minutes to prepare this pulao except for the soaking time for dried red kidney beans which requires minimum 4 - 6 hours. If you are using canned ones, you don't have to worry about that too. I cooked this for a weekend lunch and my family loved it so much. I served it with fryums (the one in the picture), yes it is 'not so healthy' of an option for a side dish but still our family loves it, so once in a while it is ok, I guess. I have prepared this pulao using bay leaves from Schwartz They have wide range of spices, herbs, seasonings and recipe mixes. I happened to pick this one from our local Sainsbury store and loved it. Yet to try the other products though, which I will do it soon.

Rajma Pulao Recipe

This is a flavorful one pot meal made with red kidney beans using pressure cooker. This vegan and gluten free pulao is easy to make and is ready in less than 30 minutes (cooking time).

Recipe Developed, Cooked and Clicked by : Divya Prakash
Published : February 28, 2016
Prep time : 10 mins  Cook time : 20 mins  Total time : 30 mins
Yield : about 5 servings

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Ingredients :

• Red Kidney Beans(dried) : 1/2 Cup
• Basmati Rice : 2 Cups
• Oil : 1 Tablespoon
• Fennel Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
• Cloves : 4 nos.
• Cinnamon : About 1" long piece
• Bay leaves from Schwartz : 2 nos.
• Onion : 1 no.
• Green Chillies : 2 nos.
• Ginger : 1" long piece
• Garlic : 5 cloves
• Mint : handful
• Turmeric Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
• Chilli Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
• Garam Masala Powder : 1 Teaspoon.
• Coconut Milk : 1/2 Cup
• Water : 3 Cups
• Salt : To taste
• Cilantro : To garnish

Instructions :

1. Soak dried red kidney beans for atleast 4 - 6 hours. Overnight soaking is preferable, so plan accordingly.
2. Do the required preparations for the pulao- Slice onions, slit green chillies, grate ginger, mince garlic , clean-wash-chop mint leaves and cilantro leaves and finally, wash basmati rice, drain excess water and set it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves and fry for a minute. Then add onions, green chillies and fry till onions turn translucent.
4. Now add the grated ginger, minced garlic along with chopped mint leaves and cook for another minute.
5. Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala powder and mix well.
6. Drain the soaked rajma(red kidney beans) and add it, mix well and then add the washed basmati rice. Now add coconut milk and required water along with salt as per taste and mix well. Cover the lid and pressure cook it for one whistle in medium-high heat and then turn it off.
7. Wait till the pressure releases. Then gently fluff up the rice and garnish with cilantro and serve it warm.

Notes :

1. I used 1/2 cup dried red kidney beans and after soaking it was about 1 cup. So if you are using canned red kidney bean, use 1 cup of it.
2. Adjust green chillies and chilli powder as per your heat tolerance level.
3. This can be prepared in electric rice cooker too.
4. The dried red kidney beans has to be soaked for at least 4 - 6 hours.
5. I have used basmati rice. You can use other variety of rice too. Based on the variety of rice used water quantity will vary.

This post is written in collaboration with Schwartz but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.