From the recipe box
Rajma Chawal – One Pot
Rice, dal, legume, and soup formats cooked in a single vessel — the weeknight comfort lane.
- Protein
- Rajma
- Meal format
- One-Pot Wonder
- Base
- Rice, Millets, Grains
Onion, Tomato
From my kitchenCook this meal
Ingredients & method
- Prep
- 10 mins
- Cook
- 48 mins
- Total
- 58 mins
- Serves
- 2
Rajma & Rice
- ½ cupdried kidney beans (rajma), soaked overnight
- ½ cupbasmati rice
- 1 cupwater (1:1 ratio with rice)
- to tasteSalt
- —Optionally: 1 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed well (skip soaking and first pressure cooking step)
Masala Base
- 1 tablespoonghee
- 1 teaspooncumin (jeera) seeds
- 2–3cloves
- 1small star anise
- 2–3garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
- 1small onion, finely chopped
- 1medium tomato, finely chopped or pureed
- ¼ teaspoonturmeric powder
- ½ teaspooncoriander powder
- ½ teaspoonred chili powder
- ½ teaspoongaram masala
- to tasteSalt
Step by step
Method
- 01
Add the dried rajma to a bowl and soak it in plenty of water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and throw away the soaking water. Rinse the rajma well with fresh water.
- 02
Add the soaked rajma to the Instant Pot with fresh water and a little salt. Pressure cook on High for 5 minutes. This helps partially cook the rajma before making the rice.
- 03
Once the pressure releases, remove the partially cooked rajma and set it aside. Reserve a little cooking liquid if needed.
- 04
Wash the basmati rice 3 times with fresh water and drain well.
- 05
Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add the ghee.
- 06
Once hot, add the cumin seeds, cloves, and star anise. Let them become fragrant.
- 07
Add the garlic and sauté briefly until aromatic. Add the chopped onions and cook until they become soft and lightly golden.
- 08
Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Cook until the tomatoes soften and the masala comes together.
- 09
Add the partially cooked rajma back into the pot and mix well with the masala.
- 10
Add the washed basmati rice and gently combine everything.
- 11
Add 1 cup water (a 1:1 ratio with the rice). Adjust slightly if your rajma retained a lot of cooking liquid.
- 12
Close the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on Pressure Cook (High) for 6 minutes.
- 13
Allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.
- 14
Fluff the rajma chawal gently and serve hot.
- 15
If using canned kidney beans, simply drain and rinse the beans well, then add them directly during the masala step and continue with the rice.
- 16
This comforting rajma chawal is delicious with a bowl of raita or topped with some pickled onions for a tangy crunch.
