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Madra Recipe | Himachali Rajma Madra Recipe
5 from 16 votes

Madra Recipe | Himachali Rajma Madra Recipe

Rajma Madra is a Himachali-style curry featuring kidney beans cooked with aromatic whole spices and simmered in a curd-based sauce enriched with ghee and a blend of ground spices. The use of whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, along with Kashmiri red chili powder, creates a warm and complex flavor profile. The creamy curd sauce adds tanginess and depth, balancing the earthiness of the beans, resulting in a comforting, hearty dish.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 259 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

for cooking rajma
  • 1 cup Kidney Beans or 200 grams, aka rajma
  • water rajma, for soaking, enough
  • 2.5 cups water for pressure cooking
  • 1 cinnamon stick inch-sized
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 tej patta
  • 2 green cardamom
other ingredients for madra recipe
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
  • 1 cup curd beaten, fresh, full fat
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • salt as required

Instructions

pressure cooking rajma for madra recipe
    Cup of Yum
  1. Rinse 1 cup rajma (200 grams) with water a couple of times. Then soak rajma beans in enough water for 8 to 9 hours or overnight.
  2. Next day drain all the water and rinse the rajma in running water. Drain the extra water. Place the rajma beans in a pressure cooker.
  3. Add the following whole spices – 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 tej patta and 2 green cardamoms.
  4. Add 2.5 cups water. cover with lid and pressure cook on medium flame for 15 to 16 whistles.
  5. When the pressure settles down, open the lid and check if the rajma has cooked well or not. The beans should mash completely when you press it with a spoon or with your fingers. If the rajma beans are not cooked, then continue to pressure cook for some more time. Add some more water if required.
  6. In a bowl, take 1 cup fresh full fat curd and whisk it till smooth. Keep aside.
making madra recipe
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee or 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy pan or kadai.
  2. Add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds crackle in the hot oil.
  3. Now switch off flame and add ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida (hing). Give a stir and mix well. then keep the pan down. 
  4. Next add the beaten curd. quickly begin to stir the curd as soon as you add it.
  5. Stir curd non-stop. Mix till curd and ghee is mixed very well.
  6. Then keep pan on stove top on a low flame and continue to stir non-stop. If you stir non-stop, curd won’t split.
  7. Keep on stirring non-stop.
  8. After some minutes, you will see the ghee separating from the curd mixture.
  9. Continue to stir till all ghee is separated and you see a layer of ghee floating at the sides and on few places at the top of the curd mixture.
  10. Then add the following spice powders one by one – ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder. You can also add a few methi seeds and ½ teaspoon of fennel powder (saunf powder) if you want.
  11. Mix well. continue to stir for one minute.
  12. Drain all the water from the rajma and add the cooked rajma beans in the curd gravy.
  13. Season with salt as per taste. mix well.
  14. Simmer the madra gravy on a low flame. Keep stirring occasionally.
  15. The gravy will begin to thicken. Overall simmer for 11 to 12 minutes. You can add some hot water if the gravy becomes too thick. After 11 to 12 minutes or when the madra gravy has thickened, then switch off flame.
  16. Serve rajma madra with rotis or steamed rice. You can garnish with some coriander leaves if you want.

Notes

  • Any variety of kidney beans can be used, though the typical smaller Himachali variety is recommended.
  • If the curry thickens too much, stir in some hot water and simmer briefly to adjust consistency.
  • Use fresh, full-fat curd to avoid curdling during cooking; low-fat or toned milk curd may cause splitting.

Nutrition Information

Calories 259kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 33g (11%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 24mg (8%) Sodium 51mg (2%) Potassium 741mg (16%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 410IU (8%) Vitamin C 2.6mg (3%) Calcium 130mg (13%) Iron 3.8mg (21%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 259

% Daily Value*

Calories 259kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 33g 11%
Protein 12g 24%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 51mg 2%
Potassium 741mg 16%
Fiber 8g 32%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 410IU 8%
Vitamin C 2.6mg 3%
Calcium 130mg 13%
Iron 3.8mg 21%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.