Punjabi Rajma Chawal

Sunday, one o'clock, a house in Delhi. The rajma has been on a low flame since morning and the rice is steaming beside it. Nothing else is planned. The gravy has gone dark and glossy, thick enough to sit on the rice instead of running off it, and there are thin strips of raw ginger on top and a raw onion cut in four on the side. This is plain everyday food and people wait for it more than they wait for most feast dishes.

Gir Cow's A2 Ghee is what lifts it. Churned the bilona way from Gir cow milk, it carries a deep nutty smell that plain oil cannot, and it holds the long fry that the onion and tomato need before the ghee separates and shines at the edges. Start the masala in it, then stir half a spoon in again at the end. Our Stone Ground Red Chilli Powder goes in with the tomato puree, ground slowly on stone so it gives colour and depth rather than dusty heat.

The one thing that decides rajma is how far you cook the beans. Press one between your thumb and finger: it must squash with no effort at all. If there is any bite left, cook it five minutes more. An undercooked bean will never let the gravy turn thick and creamy, however long you simmer afterwards.

How to make it

1. Drain the soaked rajma and rinse it twice in fresh water. Old beans soak up more, so top up the soaking water if it looks low overnight.
2. Pressure cook the rajma with 3 cups water and ½ tsp salt. Give it 6 to 7 whistles on medium, about 20 minutes, then let the pressure drop on its own. Press one bean between your thumb and finger. It should squash with no effort at all. If it resists, cook 5 minutes more.
3. Heat the ghee in a heavy kadhai. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the onion and fry on medium for 8 to 10 minutes, till it is properly golden brown, not just soft.
4. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute, till the raw smell goes. Pour in the tomato puree and add the red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric. Cook on medium for 8 to 10 minutes, till the masala pulls together and the ghee separates at the edges.
5. Lift the cooked beans in with a slotted spoon and keep the cooking stock. Mash a big spoonful of the beans against the side of the pan. This is what thickens rajma, not cream.
6. Pour in the stock, add the rest of the salt, and simmer uncovered on low for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir every few minutes. The gravy will darken, thicken and start to look glossy.
7. Add the garam masala, amchur and kasuri methi. Simmer 5 minutes more, then switch off and cover. It settles as it rests.
8. For the rice, drain the soaked basmati. Bring 2 cups water to a boil with a pinch of salt, add the rice, cover and cook on the lowest flame for 8 to 10 minutes till the water is gone. Rest 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
9. Serve the rajma over the rice with a little extra ghee, the ginger strips and coriander leaves. Sliced onion and a green chilli on the side.

Tips

• Next day is better. Rajma thickens and deepens overnight. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat with a splash of hot water and a fresh spoon of ghee.
• Make ahead: pressure cook the beans a day early and store them in their own stock. The masala then takes 20 minutes.
• No amchur? Squeeze in half a lemon after you switch off the flame. Add it while the pan is still on the heat and the gravy turns dull.
• The commonest mistake is adding tomato or salt to beans that are still firm. Acid stops beans softening, so they stay hard for the rest of the cooking. Cook the beans fully first, always.
• Small Jammu or chitra rajma cook softer and faster than the big supermarket kidney beans. If you can find them, use them.