Rajma Masala
The Quirky Foodster Team
About 1/3 cup
Servings
Ingredients
- Coriander seed — 2 tbsp
- Cumin seed — 1 tbsp
- Black peppercorns — 1 tsp
- Dried pomegranate seed (anardana) or amchur — 1 tsp
- Cinnamon stick — 1
- Cloves — 4
- Dried red chiles — 2
- Ajwain — 1 tsp
- Threads of dried ginger — a few
- Similar base to chana masala — coriander, cumin, cinnamon, clove, black pepper — typically with a stronger ginger-garlic and tomato-forward orientation reflecting rajma's characteristic gravy
Method
- Toast whole spices, cool, grind.
- Standard toast-then-grind method.
Origin: North India, formulated for red kidney bean (rajma) curry.
Use: Added during the tomato-onion gravy base preparation.
Classic Dishes: Rajma (kidney bean curry, typically served with rice as rajma chawal).
Storage: Keeps 2-3 months sealed and dark.
Variations: Very closely related to chana masala in composition — the two are sometimes used interchangeably by home cooks.
Substitutions: Pre-made commercial garam masala varies enormously in quality; a fresh, home-toasted-and-ground version is markedly more aromatic than most shelf products. Garam masala as a general substitute.
- Coriander seed — 2 tbsp
- Cumin seed — 1 tbsp
- Black peppercorns — 1 tsp
- Dried pomegranate seed (anardana) or amchur — 1 tsp
- Cinnamon stick — 1
- Cloves — 4
- Dried red chiles — 2
- Ajwain — 1 tsp
- Threads of dried ginger — a few
- Similar base to chana masala — coriander, cumin, cinnamon, clove, black pepper — typically with a stronger ginger-garlic and tomato-forward orientation reflecting rajma's characteristic gravy
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