Rajma pulao – an easy one-pot rice dish made in a pressure cooker.
Rajma pulao is my goto rice dish for a busy weekday lunch. This will be good for the lunch box as well. Pair it with salad and raita and lunch is done 🙂
I make this rajma rice dish very often, weekly once mostly but took so long to post it. Kidney beans are a good protein source for vegetarians. As a vegetarian, I like to include different kinds of legumes and pulses as protein sources.
Sometimes, I make salads with beans, mostly when we want to have a light lunch or dinner.
There are other one-pot rice dishes on the blog, do check them out.
I am sending this recipe to blogging marathon hosted by dear Valli.
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Rajma pulao recipe:
Simple and healthy one-pot rice dish with Rajma (kidney beans) and veggies made in a pressure cooker.
- 3/4 cup rajma or kidney beans
- 1.5 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt optional
- 1.25 cups basmati rice
- 2.5 cups water
- 3 medium-sized potatoes
- 2 small carrots
- 12 green beans
- 1 small onion
- 1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 4 cloves
- 4 green cardamom
- 1 mace strand
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
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Wash and soak rajma for 8 hours or overnight in water.
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Thoroughly wash soaked rajma and pressure cook in 1.5 cups of fresh water.
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Adding salt while cooking rajma is optional. But I prefer adding salt while cooking rajma and by doing so rajma doesn't get overcooked and they taste good.
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Rajma should be cooked completely and they should be soft when you press them. Cooking time and number of whistles depends on the pressure cooker and quality of rajma.
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I used prestige clip-on cooker and kidney beans got cooked in 3 whistles which took around 9 minutes. If I use a normal pressure cooker, it will take around 15 to 20 minutes. Also cooking time will be fast if you directly cook the beans in the pressure cooker instead of using the inner cooking vessel.
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Soak basmati rice for 30 minutes. I usually soak rice and then pressure cook beans, chop veggies. By the time all this prep work is done, rice will be soaked nicely.
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Chop the veggies. Adding veggies to this pulao is optional but I always include them.
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Heat the pressure cooker and add oil. I usually use the same cooker in which I cook the beans. Once beans are cooked, I take them into a bowl and use the same cooker for making the pulao.
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Once the oil is heated up, add whole spices and chopped ginger.
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Once spices get heated up, add chopped onions and fry for 3 – 4 minutes.
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Now add chopped veggies. Use veggies of your choice and according to the season.
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Let the veggies cook for 5 minutes and then add boiled rajma. Save water in which rajma is cooked. I usually use this water to cook the pulao and add plain water if it is not sufficient.
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Add turmeric powder, red chili powder coriander seeds powder and salt. Mix everything well.
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Now add soaked and washed basmati rice.
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Add water and adjust salt. Water should taste a little salty so that the final dish will have adequate salt.
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Pressure cook on medium to high flame for 1 to 2 whistles (around 7 to 8 minutes)
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Once pressure is released, add finely chopped coriander leaves and rajma pulao is ready to serve. If you have time, leave it aside for 10 more minutes and rice will become fluffy.
How to make rajma pulao (step by step pictures)
how to cook rajma
Wash and soak rajma for 8 hours or overnight in water. Thoroughly wash soaked rajma and pressure cook in 1.5 cups of fresh water.
Rajma should be cooked completely and they should be soft when you press them. Cooking time and number of whistles depends on the pressure cooker and quality of rajma.
making rajma pulao
Soak basmati rice for 30 minutes.
Chop the veggies. Adding veggies to this pulao is optional but I always include them.
Heat the pressure cooker and add oil. Once the oil is heated up, add whole spices and chopped ginger.
Once spices get heated up, add chopped onions and fry for 3 – 4 minutes.
Now add chopped veggies. Use veggies of your choice and according to the season.
Let the veggies cook for 5 minutes and then add boiled rajma. Save water in which rajma is cooked.Use this water to cook the pulao and add plain water if it is not sufficient.
Add turmeric powder, red chili powder coriander seeds powder and salt. Mix everything well.
Now add soaked and washed basmati rice. Add water and adjust salt. Water should taste a little salty so that the final dish will have adequate salt.
Pressure cook on medium to high flame for 1 to 2 whistles (around 7 to 8 minutes). Once pressure is released, add finely chopped coriander leaves and rajma pulao is ready to serve.
Recipe notes:
- Adding salt while cooking rajma is optional. But I prefer adding salt while cooking rajma and in this way, rajma will not overcook and they taste good.
- I used prestige clip-on cooker and kidney beans will cook in 3 whistles which took around 9 minutes. If I use a normal pressure cooker, it will take around 15 to 20 minutes. Also cooking time will be fast if you directly cook the beans in the pressure cooker instead of using the inner cooking vessel.
- I usually soak rice and then pressure cook beans, chop veggies side by side. By the time all this prep work is done, rice will be soaked nicely.
- To make the rajma pulao, I usually use the same cooker in which I cook the beans. Once beans are cooked, I take them into a bowl and use the same cooker for making the pulao.
- Once the pressure releases naturally, after making pulao, leave it aside for 10 more minutes and rice will become fluffy.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#107
The pulao looks so nicely done and inviting..I am so for such one pot meals, makes cooking so easy !
That’s such an inviting plate Sravanthi. Love one pot meals because they are convenient and time saving. Perfect for lunch boxes.
wow this is perfect just the way it looks! delicious one pot meal! great for lunchbox!
This is my kind of combination rice dish. I can easily dig into this. It looks so good!
One of the best ways to enjoy Rajma if you ask me. Love the ease of cooking in one pot. Wonderful flavors.