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Pahadi rajmah

AI-drafted · awaiting admin review

Small, flavourful hill kidney beans slow-cooked with ginger and whole spices, grown in the high valleys of Himachal Pradesh.

Region: Himachal Pradesh (Chamba, Kinnaur, Kullu and Lahaul)Occasion: Everyday meals and dham feastsTime: 1 hr 15 min + overnight soakingServes: 4Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup hill rajmah (red or speckled kidney beans), soaked overnight
  • 2 tbsp ghee or mustard oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 bay leaves, 1 black cardamom
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 tbsp ginger, grated
  • 2 tomatoes, puréed (optional)
  • ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ cup curd (optional, dham style)
  • Salt to taste

Method

  1. Pressure-cook the beans with salt and water until very soft.
  2. Heat ghee and add cumin, bay leaves and cardamom, then the onion and ginger; fry until golden.
  3. Add the tomatoes and spices and cook until the fat separates.
  4. Add the beans with their water and simmer for 20 minutes, mashing a few beans to thicken.
  5. For the dham style, stir in whisked curd at the end on low heat.
  6. Serve with rice.

History

Many local varieties of rajmah are grown in the high, cool valleys of Himachal Pradesh, where they ripen slowly and cook soft.

Significance

Hill rajmah is a cash crop for farmers in remote valleys and a common part of village meals and feasts.

Sources