My family loves rajma curry. When I use the small variety it gets boiled well. Sometimes when I use the darker variety, the results are not so satisfying. One of my friends said she soaks rajma the morning before the next day i.e. around 30 hours. Is it necessary to soak rajma for such a long time? Is it okay to add salt while boiling rajma? How many whistles in cooker? ILites please share your secrets for cooking best rajma. :thumbsup
Overnight soaking is more then enough. You can add salt, you need to give 2 whistles then sim the flame and cook it as it is in the cooker for 15 to 20 minutes.(don't be worried how many whistles it will give you) Your rajma becomes nice and soft. Ready for making your curry.
hi lgirish, I soak rajma for 6 hrs, as Anunarc has suggested you can soak it overnight also. I add salt to it and I give some eight to ten whistles. It will be soft and well cooked. Adding a small amount of dry kasuri methi (fenugreek) leaves finally to the rajma curry gives a nice flavor to it. My kid loves to eat rajma
Rajma and kasoori methi? It never occurred to me.Thanx. Till now I was using kasoori methi in methi parotta when fresh methi leaves were not available.
while soaking rajma, add little bit of baking soda. before cooking, wash it 4 to 5 times. then you cook the rajma it will cook properly. no need of 7 or 8 whitles...
I have a doubt. Doesn`t baking soda spoil the nutrient effects of foods? My sis suggested adding Eno to rajma while cooking. But then that also contains soda. Isnt it?
the best way to cook rajmah is to soak it overnight and cook next day, if somehow u dont have time , like sometimes my dh would call from office and say his friends are coming and being south indian they love my rajma , so i soak it in hot water for 2-3 hours . and please rajma cooking is not associated with whistles , it more about slow cooking . when u pressure cook it for 20 -25 min it is nice , first put on high flame and let two three whistles come then slow the flame and cook slowly. when u make tadka , do it separately. adding fresh coriander gives good taste.
Yeah even I have heard of adding a pinch of baking soda while you soak chick peas as well. But I have not tried and im not sure whether it affects the nutritional value of the food. If you soak it overnight I dont think you either need a baking soda or 8 to 10 whistles. I just soak it for 6 hrs and I want them to get cooked well though not allowing them to get mashed. Often I forget to soak them the previous night
When I cook the rajma curry, I make sure that the onion and tomato get mashed well by closing it with a lid after adding the water from the cooked rajma. Once its done I add the cooked rajma and further cook it for another 10 to 15 mins in low flame so that it binds together and you dont find any traces of onion or tomato.
