Food and Recipes Beans Rajma (Punjabi Red Beans) Be the first to rate & review! This recipe, from Raleigh, North Carolina chef Cheetie Kumar was a staple in her Indian-American household when she was growing up. "My mother kept a batch of the 'masala base' (spice mixture) divided up in the fridge or freezer and made beans in the pressure cooker for instant dinners. After we moved to the U.S., the beans simmered in the slow cooker all day while she was at work and we were at school. When we got home, she quickly refried the masala and stirred it into the beans, and dinner was ready after I prepared the rice," Kumar recalls. This richly spiced version, a take on her mother's red beans, will be hit with your family too. By Cheetie Kumar Cheetie Kumar Cheetie Kumar is chef-owner at Garland. As a child in India, Cheetie could often be found in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother learning as they prepared meals. Her family held strong to their culinary heritage, passing on generations old techniques, preparations, and recipes. At age 8 her family settled in the Bronx, New York. Cheetie is a self-taught cook who studied recipes while pursuing a career as a guitarist in The Cherry Valence and more recently Birds of Avalon. Upon moving to North Carolina, she embraced the region's renowned agriculture and seasonal produce, and incorporated these into recipes to fit her menu at Garland. She was profiled in Southern Living in September 2019, and joined us as a guest on our Biscuits & Jam podcast in 2020. Find her on social media as @cheetieku and at garlandraleigh.com. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 11, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Active Time: 1 hrs Soak Time: 8 hrs Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Yield: 4 serves Ingredients 1/2 pound dried red kidney beans (such as Camellia Brand), rinsed 2 teaspoons ground turmeric, divided 2 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 4 tablespoons ghee (or 2 Tbsp. canola oil plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter), plus more for serving 1 cup chopped yellow onion 1 black cardamom pod (optional) 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (from 1 [2-inch] piece) 1 serrano chile, halved lengthwise and seeded 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (from 3 garlic cloves) 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp. garam masala (such as MDH), divided 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes (from 1 [15-oz.] can) 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) Cooked basmati rice, warm Directions Place beans in a medium bowl or saucepan; add cold water as needed to cover 2 inches above beans. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Drain. Bring drained beans, 8 cups water, and 1 teaspoon of the turmeric to a boil in a large saucepan over high. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender but still hold their shape, 1 hour, 15 minutes to 1 hour, 30 minutes, stirring 2 teaspoons of the salt into bean mixture during final 30 minutes of cook time. While beans cook, heat 3 tablespoons of the ghee in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium until very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and (if using) black cardamom pod; stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion just begins to turn golden brown in spots, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low; add ginger, serrano chile, and remaining 1 tablespoon ghee. Cook, scraping bottom of pan to loosen browned bits, until onion is caramelized and crisped in spots, 10 to 14 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to onion mixture, scraping bottom of pan to loosen browned bits. Cook over low, stirring occasionally, until water evaporates and onion starts to sizzle in remaining pan drippings, 5 to 15 minutes. Repeat process using additional 1/2 cup water. Push onion mixture to 1 side of pan, and tilt pan so that any remaining drippings slide to empty side of pan. Add cumin seeds to drippings in empty side of pan. Cook over low, stirring just the cumin often, until cumin sizzles vigorously, about 1 minute. Add coriander, 1 tablespoon of the garam masala, and remaining 1 teaspoon turmeric to cumin; stir just the cumin mixture together. Stir cumin mixture into onion mixture. Add tomatoes, black pepper, and (if using) cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is dry and slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside, uncovered, until beans are finished cooking. Pour cooked bean mixture (do not drain beans) into onion mixture; add remaining 1 teaspoon garam masala. Bring to a simmer over medium. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until mixture has a stewlike consistency, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro, lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve over warm rice, and add more ghee to taste. Rate it Print