Rajma

Name: Rajma
Yield: makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound dried red beans, any kind, rinsed and picked over; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste; 2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil; 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger; 1 tablespoon minced garlic; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; Pinch of ground cloves; 1 tablespoon ground cardamom; 1 bay leaf; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned are fine); Salt to taste; 1 tablespoon garam masala (page 594) or curry powder, preferably homemade (pages 592–593), or to taste

December 14, 2011

Chickpeas and lentils are the staple legumes of India, but red beans are cooked from time to time and, typically, done in an extremely flavorful manner. You can add meat to this preparation, which is already quite a bit like chili. Like Dal with Butter and Cream (page 433), this is excellent with some butter (and cream, if you like) stirred in toward the end of cooking. Make it entirely in advance if you like; it will keep, refrigerated, for a couple of days. Serve with rice. Other legumes you can prepare this way: chickpeas, black beans.

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