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