Instant Pot Kashmiri Rajma – Rajma Masala Instant Pot

So thick, so overly comforting and so flavorful! In this Instant Pot Kashmiri Rajma – Rajma Masala Instant Pot, the beans are cooked just right – perfectly tender, served with rice. Honestly a must-have on your weekly rotation!

I love beans, especially when they’re homemade. It’s hard to imagine a more ideal food than beans. They’re nutritious, wholesome, and nourishing. This recipe is made with my favorite type of bean, the elementary little red bean.

Red beans are actually the one bean that my parents and now I habitually have in the pantry. And when I say habitually, I mean always. 

Serve Instant Pot Kashmiri Rajma – Rajma Masala Instant Pot with a scoop of rice, garnished with cilantro (although optional). Authentic Kashmiri food doesn’t typically use cilantro.That can’t be unsatisfactory, right?

What type of beans are used to make Instant Pot Kashmiri Rajma – Rajma Masala Instant Pot?

Kashmiri Rajma are traditionally made with small red kidney beans and seasoned with the traditional spices. I have used small red beans called Kashmiri Rajma. You can find them in an Indian grocery store or on Amazon. I find them easily at India Bazar in the beans aisle.

You can also use small red beans found in the Mexican aisle in grocery stores.

Other ingredients:

oil of choice, cumin seeds (jeera), asafoetida (heeng), kashmiri chili powder , water,  ground fennel (saunf powder), ground ginger (sonth), salt, garam masala, ground cumin, and baking soda.

I live in Texas and we have hard water here. I realized that it would take very long for my beans to soften. I highly, recommend adding baking soda to reduce the cooking time and soften the beans.

How do I make this recipe?

Rinse the red kidney beans a few times. Soak 1 cup of dry red kidney beans in 3 cups of water for at least 6 to 8 hours. I typically soak them overnight. Drain all the water out from the kidney beans, when you are ready to cook.

Cook:

Firstly, select sauté on the instant pot. Next, add in oil to the pot. Further, when the oil is hot add cumin seeds and asafoetida.

Furthermore, when the cumin seeds splutter add in Kashmiri chili powder and 1/4 cup water. Additionally, keep stirring for about 30 seconds to a minute.

Next add in ground fennel, ground ginger, ground cumin, garam masala, salt, baking soda and mix well.

Furthermore add the red beans and 1 and 3/4 cup water. Stir well. Finally, close the pressure sealing valve and select manual/high pressure for 50 minutes, if using Kashmiri Rajma and 35 minutes if using Mexican beans. Let the pressure release naturally.

Tried this recipe yet? Give us a rating, comment below in the reply section and let us know what you think.

Moreover, try some of our other recipes:

Instant Pot Kashmiri Paneer

Daikon Radish Kashmiri Curry

Instant Pot Kashmiri Chicken Yakhni

Instant Pot Kashmiri Chicken Aloo

Instant Pot Kashmiri Rajma – Rajma Masala Instant Pot

Shilpa

So thick, so overly comforting and so flavorful! In this Instant Pot Kashmiri Rajma – Rajma Masala Instant Pot, the beans are cooked just right – perfectly tender, served with rice.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Dried beans soaking time 8 hours hrs

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, Kashmiri, North Indian

Servings 4

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

• 1/3 cup oil of choice
• 1 tsp cumin seeds     (jeera)
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida    (heeng)
• 1 cup dried small red kidney beans (Kashmiri red small rajma) (rinsed and soaked in 3 cups of water overnight for 8 hours)
• 1 tbsp kashmiri chili powder 
• 2 cup water (divided)
• 1 tbsp ground fennel  (saunf powder)
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger (sonth)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin     (jeera powder)
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 and 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (optional but recommended in areas where there is hard water)

Instructions

 

Prep

• Rinse the red kidney beans a few times. Soak 1 cup of dry red kidney beans in 3 cups of water for at least 6 to 8 hours. I typically soak them overnight. Drain all the water out from the kidney beans, when you are ready to cook.

Cook

• Select sauté on the instant pot. Next, add in oil to the pot. Further, when the oil is hot add cumin seeds and asafoetida.
• When the cumin seeds splutter add in the Kashmiri chili powder and 1/4 cup water. Stir well and let it saute for about 30 seconds to a minute.
• Next add in ground fennel, ground ginger, ground cumin, garam masala, salt, baking soda and mix well.
• Furthermore add the red beans and 1 and 3/4 cup water. Stir well. Finally, close the pressure sealing valve and select manual/high pressure for 50 minutes, if using Kashmiri Rajma and 35 minutes if using Mexican beans. Let the pressure release naturally. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Serve over steamed rice.

Notes

Baking soda is recommended to soften the beans and reduce the pressure cooking time. I live in an area where the water is hard and it takes a very long time for the beans to soften in hard water.

You can add the garam masala in the end after the rajma is cooked instead of putting it with all the spices. I personally, like to throw all the spices in together.

Keyword Indian Dried Red Beans, Indian Red Beans, Instant Pot Rajma Curry, Instant Pot Rajma Masala, Instant Pot Spicy Dried Red Beans, Kashmiri Rajma, Kashmiri Rajma Masala