A cut and dried fact of a bean is that it has ‘bean’ around! Its journey started some 8000 years ago in Peru, and by the time it reached Punjab, India, it was quickly adopted into its most celebrated bean and grain dish called Rajma Chawal. It is a popular pairing for a good reason; with this combination, it has no trans fats and is rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. It is very filling and is highly versatile. When the Asian Indians were brought to the Americas by the British, Rajma Chawal travelled with them. Rice and beans continued to migrate from Jamaica, to Haiti, and arrived back in Mexico via New Orleans.
To celebrate this great bean voyage, I wanted to combine Rajma with my favorite American cooking – New Mexican. After all, if you really break the Rajma recipe down, it happens to be a combination of beans, red chile, salsa and copious amount of masala.
This recipe uses pinto beans as opposed to red kidney beans. Pinto beans offer quite a few advantages over red kidney beans in taste, texture and nutrients. I created an authentic New Mexico red chile (to sound authentic, never say red chile sauce, it is just red chile – I was corrected recently) and made a simple tomato puree. The result is simply a delicious festive Rajma that I call ‘Rajma Chile Fiesta.’ Try it for yourself. You can simplify this recipe, by using (New Mexican) red chile powder and buying a canned tomato sauce.
This is a pure vegetarian food, and you can make it vegan by substituting vegetable oil for the butter. It is gluten free.
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Rajma Chile Fiesta
This recipe uses pinto beans as opposed to red kidney beans. This is a pure vegetarian food, and you can make it vegan by substituting vegetable oil for the butter. It is gluten free.It is simply a delicious festive Rajma that I call ‘Rajma Chile Fiesta.’ Try it for yourself. You can simplify this recipe, by using (New Mexican) red chile powder and buying a canned tomato sauce.
Select 7 large dried red chilies. Rinse them thoroughly and take the stems off, but leave the seeds in the chile.
In the instant pot inner pot (IP), add 1.5 cups of water and the red chilies.
On manual high pressure with the vent closed, cook them for 10 minutes.
Once the IP has cooled down, make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and that the (pressure) pin is down. Open the lid.
Using tongs, pick up the cooked red chilies and transfer them to a blender. Add the remaining water from the IP to the blender.
Add onion, ginger and garlic. Blend them thoroughly to a smooth puree.
(Optional) Pour the puree into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to stir and press the puree through the sieve; discard solids.
Set this aside. You can refrigerate it for later use as well.
Part – II – Making Tomato Puree:
Rinse the tomatoes thoroughly. Cut the stem area off the top of the tomato. Cut the tomatoes in half.
Transfer them to a blender. Add half of the mint and all the spices from the Masala Paste. Blend them thoroughly to a smooth puree.
(Optional) Pour the puree into a fine sieve set over a bowl. Use a rubber spatula to stir and press the puree through the sieve to remove the tomato skins, then and discard solids.
Part – III – Cooking the Pinto Beans:
Carefully remove any small stones or bad pinto beans. Rinse the beans thoroughly, then put them in the IP. Add enough water (about 1.5 cup) to cover the pinto beans (water level should be just over the surface of the beans).
Add salt, and 2 tbsp of oil. On manual high pressure with the vent closed, cook them for 40 minutes.
Once the IP has cooled down, make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and that the (pressure) pin is down. Open the lid.
Pour all of the contents into a vessel and set aside.
Part – IV– Putting It All Together:
Add 2 tbsp of oil and cumin seeds into the IP.
Plug in the Instant Pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more.’ This is the high setting for sauté.
When you first hear the sound of the cumin seed "sizzling," add butter and the red chile puree from Part I and bring it to a boil. Occasionally stir and leave it for another minute after the first boil.
Add the tomato puree from Part II and bring it a boil. Stir occasionally to ensure uniform mixing. Adjust the heat if necessary. Let it cook for another five minutes.
Add cooked pinto beans from Part III. Turn the IP off.
Close the lid, and with the vent closed, select the ‘Bean/Chili’ option which will cook the beans for 30 minutes under medium pressure.
Once it is cooked, release the pressure by opening the vent.
Of course, a dish as popular as Sambar must have a real tall tale to showcase its mighty origin! One day, Sambaji (none other than the son of the great Maratha warrior Sivaji), who also happens to be a great cook, finds himself without his favorite ingredients in his cousin’s kingly court kitchen in Tanjore. He magically creates this world-famous dish with local ingredients and aptly names it after himself – Sambar! Whether you relegate this to the great storytelling ability of our people or assign it to historians for further research, it is in general agreed, that the origin of this dish must have been from a modest Tanjore Brahmin’s kitchen and has since spread across South India over time. In doing so, it has incorporated elements of local cuisine, such as adding coconut in Kerala or even jaggery in Karnataka. But the real credit goes to the Udupi hoteliers who popularized their version of Sambar, which is sometimes referred to as ‘Hotel Sambar.’ It is this version that has ‘traveled the world and seven seas’ to become ubiquitous in all Madrasi restaurants and kitchens alike.
Sambar – The Spicy Soul
When my mother heard that I am going abroad for my studies, she immediately made sure that I learned to cook Sambar, and she sent me off with a packet of Sambar powder. Ever since then, I have been evolving my Sambar recipe. Now it contains all the key elements of all the Sambar recipes that I have come across. Try it for yourself…I think you’ll really enjoy it!
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
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Sambar (Vegetable lentil stew)
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
Pour the contents (except the curry leaves) of the dry spices into the Instant Pot Inner Pot (put the spices in one small area of the pan).
Pour the vegetable oil over the spices (just enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Plug in the Instant Pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more.’ This is the high setting for sauté.
When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," pour the diced green chilies, butter, and ginger/garlic paste into the pan. Add the curry leaves. Stir until the butter melts and chilies and garlic/ginger paste mixes well together.
Adjust the ‘sauté’ temperature down if needed. Sauté for another 1 min.
Add onions to pan. Stir occasionally until the onions are soft, just until they are translucent.
Add salt, sambar powder, and tomatoes. Add 1 cup of water to the pan, mix them well and let them cook together. Ensure you stir periodically for uniform cooking and mixing of spices (just fold it over using a spatula). Bring it to a boil. Adjust the sauté temperature as needed.
Turn off the Instant Pot
Add (1 cup) Dhal to the Inner Pot, add (6 cups of) water
On manual, under high pressure, with vent sealed, cook for 20 min. Let it cool down naturally.
In a bowl, add the tamarind, and add a cup of water and microwave for 2 minutes. Once cool, make a puree by squeezing. Remove all pulp. Dilute the tamarind, if needed, for the right consistency and keep 1 cup of tamarind juice aside.
Add all the ingredients (except the coconut) for the paste to a small frying pan and add 2 tsp of oil. Fry them on medium heat until the lentils become slightly brown.
Grind the fried spices into a fine paste using a grinder and by adding enough water to achieve a paste consistency.
Open the grinder, add the coconut and grind them together for a few seconds. Set aside the paste.
In a small frying pan, add a bit of oil, some salt and gently sauté the cut vegetable until it is about half cooked. Add a small amount of water if necessary.
Add the tamarind juice, and the ground paste to the pan and cook them all together until they come to a boil. Turn off the stove after it has reached a boil.
Once the IP has cooled down, make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and that the (pressure) pin is down. Open the Cooker lid -- be careful, as the dhal will be extremely hot.
Add the cooked ingredients to the inner pot. Add water, if needed, for consistency. Set the IP for ‘slow cook’ high for 30 minutes. Close the lid, with the vent open.
Once done, taste and add salt if necessary. Add Jaggery (optional), if preferred.
Add in fresh cilantro for garnish. Serve hot over rice.
It is time to seek refuge in the kitchen and cook some ‘rasam’ for the soul! Rasam, as we call it, ‘the very essence’ as it translates, is as fundamental to our food as the very air we breathe, and yet it is the simplest form of a soup. It is a comfort food for us, and to all our South Indian neighbors. When we were a kid, it is the first solid food we ate and the go to food when we were sick. When the British came to India, it was the first Indian food that got anglicized. They called it mullaga (chile) water, which eventually evolved into Mulligatawny Soup. Apparently, they liked it so much so that today, in its varied incarnations, it is available the world over. Warning it is very spicy and tone it down if you like and you do need to have the Instant Pot.
Pour the contents (except the curry leaves) of the dry spices into the Instant Pot Inner Pot (put the spices in one small area of the pan).
Pour the vegetable oil over the spices (just enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Plug in the Instant pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more’. This is the high setting for sauté.
When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping", pour the diced green chilies, butter, and ginger into the pan. Add the curry leaves. Stir until the butter melts and chilies and garlic mixes well together.
Adjust the ‘sauté’ temperature down if needed. Sauté for another 1 min.
Add salt, pepper, rasam powder, turmeric powder and tomatoes. Add 2 cup of water to the pan. Mix them well and let them cook together. Adjust the sauté temperature as needed.
Ensure you stir periodically for uniform cooking and mixing of spices (just fold it over using a spatula). Stir just enough until all the spices are mixed with the tomatoes. Bring it to the first boil. Wait for a minute.
Turn off the Instant Pot
Add (1cup) Dhal to the Inner Pot, add (5 cups of) water,
On manual, under high pressure, with vent sealed, cook for 20 min. Let it cool down naturally.
On a bowl add tamarind, add a cup of water and microwave for 2 minutes. Once cool, make a puree and remove all pulps. Dilute the tamarind, if needed for the right consistency and keep 1.5 cup of tamarind juice aside.
Make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and the pin (pressure) is down. Open the Cooker lid, and be careful the dhal will be extremely hot.
Add the tamarind juice. Taste and add salt if necessary. Stir once, and close the lid. 'Slow cook' in high for 30 min.
Once done, squeeze ½ a lemon without seeds. Add in fresh cilantro for garnish.
This is one of my favorite ways to make Dhal. It is very simple to make in the IP and has served as a complete meal on way too many occasions. This dish also happens to be the very first one that I really mastered. It’s inspired by the ever so popular Andhra Tomato Pappu. Over the years, this has become my go-to comfort food, and I often crave for this Dhal on rice along with a few (or more) fresh potato chips. Sometimes life’s “most simple things can bring the most happiness.”
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
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Andhra Tomato Pappu (Lentil Soup)
It is a pure vegetarian dish and almost a vegan one but for the butter in it. You can also make this dish gluten free, if you avoid the hing. Hing in its pure form is gluten free, but many vendors add wheat flour to reduce the intensity of its flavor.
Pour the contents (except the curry leaves) of the dry spices into the Instant Pot Inner Pot (put the spices in one small area of the pan).
Pour the vegetable oil over the spices (just enough to soak the spices plus a little more).
Plug in the Instant Pot, press ‘sauté’ and ‘adjust’ to ensure the digital display is on ‘more.’ This is the high setting for sauté.
When you first hear the sound of the mustard seed "popping," pour the diced green chilies, butter, and ginger/garlic paste into the pan. Add the curry leaves. Stir until the butter melts and chilies and garlic/ginger paste mixes well together.
Adjust the ‘sauté’ temperature down if needed. Sauté for another 1 min.
Add onions to pan. Stir occasionally until the onions are soft, just until they are translucent.
Add salt, sambar powder, turmeric powder, and tomatoes. Add 1 cup of water to the pan, mix them well and let them cook together. Ensure you stir periodically for uniform cooking and mixing of spices (just fold it over using a spatula). Bring it to a boil. Adjust the sauté temperature as needed.
Turn off the Instant Pot
Add (1 cup) Dhal to the Inner Pot, add (4.5 to 6 cups of) water. Adjust water based on the consistency you are looking for.
On manual, under high pressure, with vent sealed, cook for 20 min. Let it cool down naturally.
Once the IP has cooled down, make sure there is no pressure in the cooker and that the (pressure) pin is down. Open the Cooker lid -- be careful, as the dhal will be extremely hot.
Add in fresh cilantro for garnish. Serve hot over rice.
