Grad School Rajma (Kidney beans)

Every Indian grad school student in US has made this recipe some time or the other. I know because I have and my husband has. There are advantages to this recipe - grocery shopping is easy and cheap  (no complicated or gourmet ingredients), very easily adaptable (any bean or vegetable works), goes well with rice and quick. This is how it happened... you came home and made the standard gravy. When that was merrily boiling, you searched the cabinets (we don't yet know what pantry is) and the freezer till you find 3 cans of the same ingredient or a large bag of vegetables. Then that went into the gravy and after mixing the stove was turned off. It was assumed cooked and well seasoned. No tasting necessary. My husband still makes this one but with one more ingredient - lots of love. He made it many times last year when I was preparing for my PE and PTOE exams. Definitely my recipe of the year.

Ingredients:

3 cans Rajma (you have to use canned for authenticity of recipe)

1 diced onion

1 can tomato sauce

Large pinch cumin seeds

Large pinch mustard seeds

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon Garam masala

1 cup Water

Salt

Heat oil in a wok and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Then add the onions and cook for a few minutes (this step varies between cooks). Then add the tomato puree in the wok along with water. Add the spices and boil. Add the drained and rinsed rajma from the cans and salt to season. Mix well. This is where the traditional recipe ends but do boil for a couple of more minutes to integrate the flavors.and burn off some of the water. Can be garnished with coriander. Serve hot with rice.