Rajma

Rajma are popularly known as kidney beans. This unique kidney shaped bean is strongly flavored with the powdery texture. It is a dried kidney bean having the reddish brown color. Rajma have the strong nutty flavor and strong musky aroma. They are the full shaped red beans with a chewable taste.

Rajma is extremely popular and special delicacy of Punjabi Cuisine, it goes along with rice and popularly known as rajma chawal. In Indian market two types of rajma are available, one is red rajma and another one is black rajma. Red rajma are of dark red in color and highly flavored. The specialty of these red rajma is that they are perfect to their shape and size even after cooking or boiling.

Black Rajma are black beans, pinto beans or navy beans. They are the common type of beans, which comes in small and big sizes. Rajma are always available at every grocery store, you just need to see the shape and size, as they should be even in size. Now a days rajma or kidney beans are available dry and canned as well. Avoid buying the broken beans or the beans having blemishes and spots.

USES:

1. Rajma can be used in various different ways, they are to be soaked and eaten as steamed, boiled or even in the gravies.
2. Boiled rajma are best to use as the healthy sprouts or combination with other sprouts.
3. They can be used for making various types of healthy salads.
4. Rajma recipe is the special delicacy of Punjabi cuisine when are to be served with rice and known as rajma chawal.
5. Rajma is a delicious main course dish, when are to be cooked in onion and tomato curry. They can be served with plain rice and roti.
6. It is very important to soak the rajma for overnight and then next morning boil them until tenders, it ultimately brings a nice aroma in the gravy recipe.
7. You can use kidney beans for making various types of soups, salads and pasts dishes.
8. Boiled beans are extremely healthy to eat and for making it more flavorful, add chopped onion, tomato, nylon sev and chaat masala and enjoy as a great snack or side dish.
9. Rajma can be made with the combination of lentils, specially with black dal. For this you need to take 1 portion of rajma and 3 portions of black dal. Soak them separately and boil together, make a delicious healthy curry recipe.
10. You may use boiled kidney beans for making variety of rice recipes.

STORAGE:

1. Beans should be kept in room temperature.
2. They must be preserved well in air tight container to secure their aroma and taste.
3. Boiled, soaked and cooked beans can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
4. You can store them in the refrigerator, if buying in bulk quantity.

BENEFITS:

1. Soaked rajma helps in removing indigestible complex sugars, which are the reason of gas and acidity in the body.
2. Rajma is extremely good source of phosphorus, copper, iron, magnesium, vitamins, protein and potassium.
3. Rajma has proven a great source of fiber, foliate and maganese in the body.
4. Boiled kidney beans are having loads of nutrients.
5. They are low in fat, that’s why healthy to eat.
6. It is extremely a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber.
7. In spite of benefit of lowering cholesterol, kidney beans have high fiber contents which helps in keeping the balance of blood sugar levels, specially in the body of diabetics.