Instant Pot Punjabi Red Bean Curry (Rajma)

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Dried kidney beans go straight into the pot — no soaking — and come out meltingly soft in a thick, glossy onion-tomato masala. One pressure cycle does everything: cooks the beans, builds the gravy, and pulls the spices together. Serve over rice with a spoon of yogurt for an easy weeknight dinner that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups dried red kidney beans, rinsed (no soaking needed)
• 3 tbsp ghee or neutral oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 4 cups water

Instructions

1. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (normal). Add the ghee and the chopped onion and cook, stirring often, for 6 to 7 minutes, until the onion is soft and the edges are golden brown.
2. Add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder and garam masala. Stir constantly for 60 seconds, until the spices smell toasty and the paste stops looking raw.
3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and cook 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot clean so nothing sticks, until the mixture darkens and thickens slightly. Press Cancel.
4. Add the rinsed kidney beans, salt and 4 cups water. Stir once, lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure (Pressure Cook / Manual) for 45 minutes.
5. When the cycle ends, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes, then move the valve to Venting to release the rest. The beans should crush easily against the side of the pot; if any are still firm, re-lock and cook 5 more minutes on High Pressure.
6. Mash about a cup of the beans against the side of the pot with a spoon, then set to Sauté (normal) and simmer uncovered for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring, until the gravy coats a spoon. Taste for salt and serve hot over rice.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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