Mama's Rajmah!

My husband has been hounding me to make Rajmah at home. It's his favorite; he calls it the vegetarian version of lamb curry, because it's so spicy and heavy in protein. I was never really into it, because I used to think the red kidney beans were too starchy. Then, I tried the red beans at this local Puerto Rican restaurant and was converted. You just have to make sure you wash and drain the beans well before cooking, so the extra starches come out. It is just so salty and delicious with rice; it's heaven. This recipe is the Indian equivalent of red beans and rice. You will need a slow cooker for this particular preparation of the beans. This recipe utilizes a 3.5 qt. cooker, but double the ingredient quantities for a 5 qt. cooker. Also, it has the potential for EXTREME HEAT. A dollop of plain yogurt on the side wouldn't hurt for the weak of heart.

Equipment needed: Slow cooker and Blender

Cooking time: 10 hours on HIGH setting, 2 hours on LOW setting (slow cooker)

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1. 1½ cups of dried red kidney beans
2. 1 red onion roughly chopped
3. 8 cloves of garlic (you can use less if you don’t like garlic)
4. 1½-in. cube of ginger (does not need to be peeled)
5. Good amount of sesame oil (about ¼ cup)
6. 4 fresh green chilies (seeded if you want to reduce heat)
7. 1 tsp. turmeric
8. 1 tsp. red chili powder (or to taste, if you left the green chilies with seeds)
9. 1 tbsp. garam masala (available in gourmet grocery stores in the international section. If you can’t find it, it can be omitted)
10. 1 tbsp. cumin powder
11. 1 tbsp. coriander powder
12. 5 cups of water
13. Salt to taste
14. Chopped red onion, cilantro, and green chili for garnish, if desired

Preparation:

Put the kidney beans and red onion in the slow cooker. Set aside.

In a blender, mix the garlic, ginger, and green chilies into a paste. Gradually pour the sesame oil into the blender while the ingredients are mixing to smooth out the mixture. Once you have a smooth paste, add the turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, cumin and coriander powders. Continue blending until well mixed. Add a touch more oil if needed.

Take the paste and pour it over the beans and onion in the slow cooker. Add about 1 tsp. of salt on top of the ingredients, and then add the water. Give everything a good mix and then close the cooker. Start the time for 10 hours on HIGH setting. After the 10 hours, give the pot a stir and check the salt. Add salt if needed, and then close the cooker, turn to LOW setting, and cook for another 2 hours.

For garnish, you can chop some fresh cilantro and a little bit of raw red onion and sprinkle it over the top. Check the salt before doing so and make sure it’s properly seasoned before sprinkling the garnish. For a more decadent variation, you can also add a tbsp. of heavy cream halfway through the cooking process. This will also reduce the spiciness of the dish.

Serve with Basmati rice mixed with fresh finely chopped cilantro.