Rajma — Kidney Bean Curry

Ingredients

• 3 cans kidney beans, one drained
• 2 onions, finely diced
• 3 tomatoes, puréed (or 1 can crushed)
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp cumin seeds + 2 tsp coriander + 1 tsp garam masala + ½ tsp chili powder + ½ tsp turmeric
• 3 tbsp ghee or oil
• 1 tbsp butter to finish
• Cilantro, and rice — 'rajma chawal' is one word emotionally

Method

1. Crackle the cumin seeds in the ghee, then brown the onions properly — 10 patient minutes to deep gold; rajma's body is built here.
2. Add the ginger-garlic paste for 1 minute, then the tomatoes and ground spices (hold the garam masala); cook until the oil separates, 8 minutes — the bhuna checkpoint.
3. Add the beans with their liquid plus a cup of water. Simmer 15–20 minutes, mashing a ladleful against the pot for creaminess.
4. Finish with garam masala and the butter swirl.
5. Cilantro over, rice under. In Punjabi homes Sunday IS rajma chawal — comfort with generational approval ratings.