Rajma Masala (curry de haricots rouges punjabi)

À propos de cette recette

Rajma masala is the soul of Punjabi everyday cooking — a warming, creamy stew of kidney beans simmered with a fragrant masala of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cumin and black cardamom (kali elaichi), enriched with tomato, ginger and garlic. The name 'rajma' comes from the Hindi word for kidney bean, and in Punjab, this is the quintessential comfort food served with steaming basmati rice and warm roti on any weeknight. The dish is built on a base of caramelized onion and tomato, thickened by the starch of the beans themselves as they break down during the long simmer, and topped with fresh cilantro. Despite its humble ingredients — dried kidney beans, a handful of spices, onion and tomato — rajma masala achieves a depth and richness that belies its simplicity. The texture is the signature: slightly chunky, creamy but not heavy, with whole beans still holding their shape but many others broken down into the sauce. Served piping hot in a wide bowl with a glass of cold buttermilk (lassi) and a mound of fluffy basmati rice on the side, rajma masala is the food that sustained Punjab through hard winters and still feeds the region today.

Ingrédients

Sert 4

• 300 gdried kidney beans, soaked overnight (or 3 x 400 g cans, drained and rinsed)
• 2 largeonions, finely diced
• 4 mediumgarlic, minced
• 1 tbspginger, grated
• 1 tbsptomatoes (fresh or canned), chopped
• 2cinnamon stick
• 4 tbspblack cardamom pods (kali elaichi)
• 1 tsp eachgreen cardamom pods
• 2 tspcloves
• 1/2 tsp eachbay leaves
• 1 small piececumin seeds
• ground turmeric
• ground coriander

Étapes

1. 1

   Cook the beans

   If using dried beans: Drain the soaked beans and transfer to a large pot. Cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, then reduce heat and simmer 45–50 minutes until the beans are just tender but still holding their shape — not mushy. Reserve the cooking liquid. If using canned, rinse and drain.

2. 2

   Temper the spices

   Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves and black cardamom. Let them sizzle 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the onions and cook 8–10 minutes until deeply golden and caramelized — this is essential for depth.

   Ajoutez tôt une pincée de sel aux oignons – cela absorbe l’humidité et les aide à dorer plus rapidement.

3. 3

   Add aromatics

   Add the minced garlic and ginger; cook 2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the ground cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves, turmeric, ground coriander and ground cumin. Cook 1 minute while stirring — the spices should bloom and become aromatic.

4. 4

   Add tomato

   Add the chopped tomatoes and cook 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down into a thick, chunky sauce. The oil should start to separate from the tomato paste.

5. 5

   Add the beans and liquid

   Add the cooked beans (and their cooking liquid if using dried) or canned beans plus 1.5 cups water. Stir well. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then reduce to low and cook, partially covered, for 25–30 minutes. The beans will continue to soften and the liquid will reduce into a creamy sauce.

6. 6

   Adjust texture

   If the curry is too watery, simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes. If too thick, add splashes of water or the reserved bean cooking liquid. The finished rajma should be creamy but still pourable — like a thick stew, not a soup.

7. 7

   Taste and finish

   Taste for salt and adjust. Remove from heat. Stir in the fresh cilantro. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Variantes

• •

  Rajma with paneer — add cubed paneer cheese in the last 5 minutes for extra protein and richness (very popular in Delhi).

• •

  Chana masala — substitute chickpeas for kidney beans; same spices, same technique.

• •

  Rajma with spinach (palak rajma) — add 200 g fresh spinach (or frozen, thawed) in the last 10 minutes.

• •

  Quick rajma (using canned beans) — follow the recipe but skip the bean-cooking step; uses 3 cans rinsed beans + 1.5 cups water, reduces simmering to 15 minutes.

Stockage

Refrigerate up to 5 days — the flavor improves by day 2. Freezes beautifully for 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if it's too thick.

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