Rajma Masala is one of the signature dishes cooked in every Indian home. This dish is a comfort food best eaten with side of rice and yogurt. You can make this dish using stove top pressure cooker or electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot). Which ever way you decide to make it, rajma masala is always a great comfort food. In this blog post, am sharing the recipe of how to make Rajma Masala in Instant Pot.
If you ask any Punjabi (North Indian) what was your favorite food growing up in Delhi? The answer will be Rajma Masala with jeera rice. Oh those days! Sunday afternoon lunch was so special, mom used to make rajma masala and jeera rice. It was served with a side of mint raita (mint flavored yogurt), onion rings sprinkled with chat masala ,lemon juice and mango pickle. I can still visualize my lunch plate, when I am typing this recipe post. So many of my childhood memories are refreshed with this blog post. If you grew up in Delhi, you would have surely eaten steaming hot plate of rajma rice from road side vendor. I remember eating it many times during my shopping trips to Connaught Place.
I was working on the blog index few days back when I realized that I have not posted rajma recipe on the blog. I have been making rajma in Instant Pot from the first week I started using it. This is a simple recipe to make – soaked beans are pressure cooked and then mixed and cooked further in masala paste of ginger, garlic, onion, tomatoes and spices.
Try my other easy Instant Pot Recipes like Instant Pot Chickpea Potato Curry or Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala. For more recipes check my Instant Pot recipe Index.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you give this recipe a try, do let me know. Leave a comment, Pin it, or take a picture and tag it #cookingyoulove on Instagram. I would love to know how it turned out for you.
- 2 cups pinto beans or red kidney beans soaked overnight
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 big onion
- 1 inch ginger
- 5 cloves garlic
- 5 tomatoes pureed
- Spices
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp heaped rajma masala
- Wash and drain overnight soaked beans. Put them in Instant Pot and add water enough to cover the beans and pinch of salt.
- Close the lid and select Manual mode for 15 minutes.
- When timer goes off let the steam release and shift beans and water in a clean bowl.
- Wash the pot clean. Dry the pot and insert it back.
- In a blender puree onion, ginger and garlic in a fine paste.
- Switch Instant Pot and select saute mode. Add 1 tbsp oil, when hot add cumin seeds.
- When the seeds splutter add the puree from the blender and cook.
- Fry it for 10-15 minutes till it becomes brown. Add a splash of water and mix so that the puree is further cooked and gets darker color.
- Add tomato puree and mix. Cook it for approx 5-6 minutes.
- Add all spices listed in the Ingredients section and remaining 1 tbsp oil.
- Mix well and cook for 2 more minutes so that spices blend well.
- Now add the cooked beans and water back to Instant Pot.
- Select bean mode which is preset for 30 minutes.
2. Use splatter cover when cooking tomato puree.
3. My cooked beans had enough water so I did not add more water. Make sure your beans are well covered with puree and water. If not you can add little water.
On the step 3:
Do you mean natural release or quick release?
Hi Karlie, I am referring to natural release. Let me know if you have more questions. thanks!
I made this today, and it was delicious! Thanks for the extra clarification.
Thanks for letting me know.
Hey Himani – what do you mean by natural release? Once the 15 mins are up – I see the Instant pot go to L00:00 mode. Do I not have to move the seal from sealed to venting?
Thanks!
Hi Kavya, natural release means the pressure comes down itself. When you hear the beeping sound which is indication food is cooked in IP. Hit cancel button to switch off IP. Wait till the pressure comes down, you don’t have to move the seal. Let me know if you have questions.
I love this recipe. It is so delicious. I have a question about the chili powder. Is the chili powder you use a very spicy hot version? Mine is very mild and I know that chili powders vary in how hot they are. The resulting dish is pretty mild which is fine for us. Is this supposed to be a hotter masala bean dish?
Hi, I cook with mild spices same goes for chili powder. This bean dish is mild in taste but you can spice it up by using more chili. I usually server this will sliced onion and cucumber seasoned with salt and lemon juice.
hi, Himani, I found your blog on google while searching for a related topic, your web site came up, it looks great. I’ve bookmarked it in my bookmarks.
Made this tonight, was delicious 😉
Thanks for the feedback, am glad you liked it.
What’s the rajma to water ratio you use in the IP?
When you are cooking the rajma in cooked puree (step 12) water should be enough to cover them. You will also have liquid from boiling earlier (step 2). All in all beans should be covered with (liquid + additional water). Let me know if you have more questions.
Himani, your recipe is super amazing! thank you so much for sharing
Thank you so much for your feedback!
Can you substitute canned tomato puree? How many cans would you use? Thanks!
Hi, I would suggest try with one can first. And check the taste. Let me know how its goes.