Recipes by Rupa Sethu

Rajma Chawal and Bhindi Masala

Rice and beans is a classic combination found in many cultures from the Caribbean islands to the South American continent and South Asia. Growing up in India, my favorite dinner was Rajma (Red kidney beans) with Chawal (Rice). Added bonus if my mom made Bhindi Masala (Stir fried okra with spices) with that. Heads up, this meal will take some planning but it is so worth it. Eaten family style, this is perfection!

Rajma

Traditionally, the recipe for Rajma calls for the onion, ginger, garlic, and tomato gravy. However, lately we have dissent in the ranks and my girls have rebelled against the onions. So I tried a new recipe that called for ginger and green chillies with tomatoes instead. Turned out great!

Ingredients

  • Dark red kidney beans (about a handful of dry beans per person)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 5 cloves
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 2-3 green chillies of choice – jalapeños or serranos
  • Fresh ginger – about a 2 inch piece
  • 5-6 medium sized tomatoes
  • Cumin seeds
  • Asafetida (Hing)
  • Garam masala
  • Salt
  • Chopped cilantro to garnish

Method

  • Soak dark red kidney beans overnight in cold water. The beans will swell up so make sure you have about 3 inches of water covering the beans.
  • Drain and add fresh water to cover the beans. Add a cinnamon stick, 5 whole cloves and 5 cardamom pods. Cook the beans using whatever method you like. I use a pressure cooker but you could use an instant pot too. Simply cooking in a pot on the stove will also work but will take a bit longer and you’ll have to test the beans to determine when done. We are looking for soft beans that have still retained their shape.
  • Finely chop some fresh ginger and green chillies – the type depends on your tolerance for heat. Also to de-seed or not is up to you!
  • You will need a generous amount of chopped, juicy tomatoes. A wise Aunty once said that the amount of chopped tomatoes should be almost as much as the beans!
  • In a large pot, warm a couple of tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add a couple of teaspoons of cumin seeds till they sizzle. Then add a quarter teaspoon of asafetida, the ginger, and green chillies and sauté for a minute.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the cooked beans to the pot and stir to combine. Let this simmer for about 10 minutes on low. If the beans are too think, add some water but it should have a chili-like consistency.
  • Finally, add a couple of teaspoons of garam masala and a handful of chopped cilantro to finish.

As you can tell, I skipped the salt. If you like you can add it at the end but as you all know by now, I prefer to salt the plate! Rajma tastes best a few hours after cooking (even better the next day!) so the flavors can all come together.

Bhindi Masala

It is rare to find an Indian that does not like Bhindi (okra). My dad used to claim that Bhindi increases brain power!! Every once in a while, I find really tender okra at my local Indian store and this invariably leads to Bhindi Masala.

Ingredients

  • Fresh tender okra, trimmed and cut into about 1 inch pieces
  • Cumin Seeds
  • Asafetida (Hing)
  • Turmeric powder
  • Ground coriander
  • Ground cumin
  • Red Chilli powder (cayenne pepper)
  • Salt

Method

  • In a large sauté pan, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add a couple of teaspoons of cumin seeds till they sizzle. Then add a pinch of asafetida.
  • Almost immediately, add the okra.
  • Add about half a tsp each of turmeric, cumin and coriander powder. Add a quarter tsp of red chili powder. Less is more – this is a gently spiced dish so you can taste the okra!
  • Stir to combine the spices into the okra and cover for about 5 minutes to let the okra cook.
  • Continue sautéing uncovered. Make sure the okra does not burn or break with too much handling. Low and slow on the heat to avoid burning!
  • If adding salt, do it after the okra is tender.

Serving it up

Like most Indian meals, this is served family style. I usually have steamed basmati rice and homemade rotis (thin, whole wheat flat bread). However, this time, I just took out some garlic naan from my freezer and we were good to go! Yes, this is an indulgence but the sodium level per naan was low enough (240mg) that it was fine. For the gluten free people, just skip the naan.

You may think this is a lot of work but if you are ready with the spices and have planned in advance by soaking the beans, it is actually not much hands on work. Also, making it all in parallel helps to cut down total time in the kitchen. I typically have the rice steaming in my rice cooker while I am cooking the Rajma and Bhindi on the stove and have the oven hot and ready for the naan!

Added bonus, the leftover Rajma makes a great toast topper for lunch the next day!!