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zero-oil rajma recipe

7-Step Irresistible Zero-Oil Rajma Recipe | One-Pot Protein Powerhouse

Zero-oil rajma recipe isn’t just a healthy alternative, it’s a revolution in how comfort food can look, feel, and nourish. Imagine a bowl of creamy rajma, slow-cooked with pureed tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, and cloves; all brought together with warm spices like cinnamon, black cardamom, bay leaves, and a hint of asafoetida. All of it without a single drop of oil. Sounds too good to be true? It isn’t.
What makes this dish stand out is how easy and efficient it is. There’s no sautéing, no layered cooking. Just blend, combine, pressure cook, and wait. Yet, when you open that cooker, what greets you is an aroma-packed, thick, melt-in-mouth curry that rivals your favourite restaurant-style rajma; only this one is gut-friendly and heart-smart.
Flavour isn’t sacrificed. In fact, the spices deepen over time, creating a rich body and warmth that balances beautifully with the creamy texture of the kidney beans. You can easily dial the heat up or down based on your preference, making it perfect for families with varied spice tolerance.
And here’s the best part: it fits effortlessly into diets for diabetes, thyroid, PCOS, high cholesterol, and fatty liver. Its high fiber and protein content support stable blood sugar and satiety, while the absence of oil reduces calorie load and inflammation triggers. This dish becomes more than just food, it’s functional nourishment.
“Feast Big; Stay Fit” isn’t just a tagline, it’s your lived reality with every spoonful of this rajma. A hearty portion will leave you full, satisfied, and fuelled, without any post-meal guilt. When health and indulgence meet in one pot, that’s not just cooking; it’s transformation.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Soaking TIme 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Breakfast, Comfort Food, Dinner, Festive Vegetarian Main Course, Lunch, Main Course, Weekend Special
Cuisine: Indian, North Indian, Punjabi
Calories: 73

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup Red Kidney Beans
  • 3 cup Water
  • 3/4 tsp Salt or as per your taste
  • 2 nos Medium Onion
  • 2 nos Medium Tomatoes
  • 1 inch Ginger
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 1 1/2 tsp Rajma Masala
  • 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Cinnamon Powder
  • 1/8 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)
  • 1 nos. Bay Leaf
  • 1 nos. Black Cardamom
  • 1 nos Green Chilli
  • 2 nos Clove

Equipment

  • 1 Pressure Cooker of around 3L
  • 1 Blender/Mixer Grinder to make the tomato-onion-garlic-ginger-clove puree
  • 1 Knife for rough chopping of vegetables before blending.
  • 1 Chopping Board for prepping tomatoes, onions, ginger, etc
  • 1 Set of Measuring Spoons for accurately measuring spices (like 1.5 tsp of rajma masala, etc)
  • 1 Ladle for mixing the ingredients in the cooker
  • 1 Serving Bowl for plating and presentation
  • 1 Spatula for scraping the puree out from the blender

Cooking Intructions
 

  1. Take 1 cup of rajma (kidney beans) and soak it in water overnight (8–10 hours). This ensures faster cooking and better digestion.
    1 cup Red Kidney Beans
  2. In a blender, combine the following:
    * 2 medium tomatoes
    * 2 medium onions
    * 1-inch piece of ginger
    * 4 cloves of garlic
    * 2 whole cloves (laung)
    * 1 Green Chilli
    Grind into a smooth puree.
    2 nos Medium Onion, 2 nos Medium Tomatoes, 1 inch Ginger, 4 cloves Garlic, 2 nos Clove, 1 nos Green Chilli
  3. In a large pressure cooker, add:
    * The soaked and drained rajma
    * The prepared masala puree
    * 3 cups of water
    3 cup Water
  4. To the same cooker, add:
    * 1.5 tsp rajma masala
    * 1/2 tsp coriander powder
    * 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    * 1/2 tsp cumin powder
    * 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
    * 1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing)
    * 1 bay leaf
    * 1 black cardamom
    * Salt to taste
    Mix well to combine everything thoroughly.
    1 1/2 tsp Rajma Masala, 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder, 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder, 1/4 tsp Cinnamon Powder, 1/8 tsp Asafoetida (Hing), 1 nos. Bay Leaf, 1 nos. Black Cardamom, 3/4 tsp Salt
  5. Seal the cooker and cook on medium flame for 30 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
  6. Open the lid and check if rajma is soft and easily mashable between fingers. Simmer for 5–10 minutes uncovered if you want a thicker gravy. Add warm water if it’s too thick.
  7. Finish with fresh coriander leaves and lemon juice to brighten the flavour. Serve hot with brown rice, jeera rice, or whole wheat roti.
Nutrition
Calories: 73kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 5gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 101mgPotassium: 234mgFiber: 4gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 371IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 2mg

Notes

Special Notes

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