Creamy Rajma and Mint Jeera Rice

If you guys aren't tired of hearing about my umpteen moves in the past two years, here's one more. We're moving back to the US again! Thanks to N and his job. It has been really great for Little M here. Lots of kids in the small community we live in. Come evening or saturdays and sundays, M is out playing with her friends or they're at our house. There are dance and Balvihar classes right here in the colony. Not much effort from my side to keep her engaged. She is also well adjusted in her school and has bonded well with the extended family here. It will be quite a drastic change of scene for her there. But kids being what they are, I know she will soon adjust to that too. As for me, I will miss the family, the colony, the help and of course, the food! But hey, the world is a global village now, right? Moving anywhere really isn't such a big deal anymore. I just wish US was not that far from here though. About 6 hours away would have been good, that's all! :) So it's back to sorting, storing and packing again. The one good thing that has come from our moves is clearing out stuff that ultimately was just clutter. We're nowhere near to a minimalist kinda life (or want to, for that matter) but it has helped weed out many excesses in our lives. SO here's to another round of clutter clearing and new adventures!

This rajma is along the lines of my creamy chhole. I love the taste of coconut milk in curries and rice. I sometimes parcook biryani rice in coconut milk or use it in the vegetables/egg layer and it just takes it to another level. So here's a not so humble rajma that I paired with jeera rice, jazzed up with mint and caramelized onions.



Creamy Rajma

Ingredients:

1 cup rajma/kidney beans
1 small onion, chopped
5-6 pods garlic, crushed & chopped
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 cup coconut milk
Whole garam masala (cardamom, cinnamon and cloves)
1 tsp jeera powder
1.5 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp oil
salt & red chilli powder to taste
chopped cilantro for garnish

Method:

Soak rajma overnight & cook in a pressure cooker along with the whole garam masala.
In a pan, heat oil. Add garlic and onion. Fry until golden.
Add chopped tomatoes and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the puree and saute for another minute or two.
Mix in the coconut milk and the powders and let it come to a boil.
Cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes.
Garnish with coriander & serve with rice.

For the Mint Jeera Rice:

Ingredients:

1 cup raw rice (washed and soaked in water for 10-15 minutes)
2 tbsp ghee (or oil) + 1 tsp for frying onion
1 heaped tsp jeera
1 tsp whole garam masala
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 bunch mint leaves, washed and chopped
1 large onion, sliced
1 tbsp cashews (I skipped this as I'd run out of it)
2 cups water
Salt to taste

Method:

In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp ghee. Add jeera and let it sizzle. Add the whole garam masala and sauté for a minute.
Add in the chopped garlic and mint leaves. Fry until wilted.
Add the soaked rice and 2 cups of water and salt to taste.
Close the lid and cook for one whistle.
In the meantime, fry the sliced onion in oil, until brown. Fry cashews, if using.
Once the rice is cooked, mix with the browned onion and cashews.
Serve with any curry.