Easy Rajma Recipe | Creamy Kidney Bean Curry in 30 Minutes

This creamy kidney bean curry (rajma) is a rich, comforting Indian classic made in just 30 minutes. Packed with warm spices and a silky texture, it’s an easy one-pot meal perfect for weeknights. Serve with rice or naan and a refreshing raita for the ultimate comfort food experience.

Watch The Recipe Video Below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoPxNAbooN8

Easy Rajma Recipe | Creamy Kidney Bean Curry in 30 Minutes

Rajma Kidney Bean Curry

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Curry:

2 x small onions (or 1 large), diced

2 x cloves garlic, grated

20g x fresh ginger, grated

30ml x olive oil (or ghee)

Pinch of salt

6g - 2 tsp x ground coriander

3g - 1 tsp x ground cumin

2g 1/2 tsp x turmeric

1g 1/4 tsp x chili flakes

2 x cans kidney beans (480g drained weight)

600g x tomato passata

200ml x vegetable stock

125ml x double (heavy) cream (or vegan alternative)

2g - 1/2 tsp x garam masala

Fresh lemon juice (to taste)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

For the Raita:

250g x plain yogurt (Greek or natural)

½ x cucumber (peeled and deseeded)

Handful fresh coriander, finely chopped

Small handful mint leaves, finely chopped

Pinch of ground cumin

Salt (to taste)

Method

Start by preparing your ingredients. Dice the onions, grate the garlic using a microplane, and grate the fresh ginger. Once everything is prepped, place a large pan over medium heat and drizzle in the olive oil (or ghee if preferred). Add the diced onions along with a pinch of salt and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.

Next, add the grated garlic and ginger to the pan, followed by the ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, and chilli flakes. Stir everything together and cook for about 1 minute until the mixture becomes fragrant and the spices are well combined with the onions.

Add the kidney beans to the pan, followed by the tomato passata and vegetable stock. Stir everything together thoroughly, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Allow the curry to cook for 20 minutes so the flavours can develop and the sauce can thicken slightly.

While the curry is simmering, prepare the raita. Place the yogurt into a bowl, then peel and deseed half of a cucumber before dicing it into small pieces. Add the cucumber to the yogurt, along with finely chopped fresh coriander and mint leaves. Sprinkle in a pinch of cumin, season with salt to taste, and mix everything together until well combined. Set aside until ready to serve.

Once the curry has finished simmering, stir in the cream along with the garam masala. To achieve a silky, creamy texture, blend about one-third of the curry using an immersion blender directly in the pan. If you don’t have one, you can remove a portion of the curry, blend it in a standard blender or food processor, and return it to the pan.

Finally, season the curry to taste with fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve hot with rice or flatbread, and finish with a spoonful of the raita, along with some fresh coriander and a pinch of mint if desired.