What do you think when we say rajma-chawal? For people from the North of India, it defines maximum comfort. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that rajma-chawal defines the food culture of the region. Boiled peas, cooked with a spicy curry and served with rice and salads – this makes a nutritious meal any time of the day. That’s not all. It’s protein, fiber-rich, and satisfying to the core. Besides, rajma beans are also low in fat and cholesterol free so it is ideal for those who like to keep a clean and healthy diet.
If you ask us, what we love most about rajma is its versatility! Aside from the quintessential rajma curry, this bean is also used to make a variety of dishes including kebabs, salads and more. Whatever it is, the first step to making any rajma-based recipes is to soak it overnight. Rajma is a hardy legume that takes time to cook. This is why, we like to soak it in water for six to eight hours or overnight. This helps soften the outer shell and makes it easier to boil.
But what if we forget to soak rajma first?! Don’t worry, we have found a perfect solution for this. Celebrity chef Pankaj Bhadouria recently shared a quick tip on how to cook rajma without soaking overnight. She took to Instagram to share her expert tip, and wrote along with it: “Beans, Rajma, Chole need to be soaked for at least 6-8 hours before cooking. Here’s Nuskha that helps you cut time down to just 30 minute!”
How to cook Rajma without soaking it in water for 6-8 hours:
According to Chef Pankaj, all you need to do is take the rajma in a bowl, add boiling water to it. Make sure the water level is higher than the rajma bed surface. Cover and leave for half an hour. And you prepare soft rajma for cooking. You can do the same for other beans including chole and black gram (potassium urad dal).
Check out the full post:
Now that you have a helpful quick tip, what are you waiting for? Soak some rajma right away and after 30 minutes you will have a bowl of rajma chawal. Click here for the classic chawal rajma recipe.
For other rajma based recipes, click here.
About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta likes to call himself. Whether it’s about food, people or places, all she craves is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio or daal-chawal and a good movie can set her off to a new day.
