Baked Rajma (Punjabi-Style Red Beans With Cream)

You lost me at "fresh green chile." There are only a few dozen types of "fresh green chile" at my market. Which variety are you referring to?

Have not tried making Rajma this way since I make them the traditional roadside dhaba way but open to giving it a shot. Just a comment about step 2. This is the most critical part of making the sauce. If the onion puree under cooked, you will taste them. And, if you go a bit over in time, the puree will burn. My recommendation would be to lower the heat when the puree is staring to turn golden and keep cooking a bit longer while stirring constantly until the oil starts separating from the puree.

If no variety of chile is specified, you should select one with a flavor profile and heat level you’re comfortable with.

I traveled in India and Nepal last fall. I bought spices there and look for ways to use them. I also ate so much paneer that I was sure I'd never want to eat it again. This recipe was great, but what was it missing? Paneer! Who thought I'd ever crave it again? I used cream. Maybe the mozzarella would hit that note. Or get some paneer. A very satisfying dish nonetheless.

I make a version based on Vikram Vij’s recipe. I describe it as Indian-style vegetarian chilli. In an effort to make it a bit more veggie-heavy, I add frozen chopped kale to it at the end, which tastes pretty good. I realize it’s not “authentic” no need for snarky comments. Once, I didn’t have enough dairy, so served with a soft poached egg to add richness. Worked out nicely.

This dish went from rajma chawal (rice & beans) in the original article featuring this to rajma. Just cook some rice with it. More nutritious. Also, many people will not be able to find garam masala. It is a mixture that varies, so you can leave out what you don't have. Cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ground bay leaf, black pepper, fennel, mace. There are lots of recipes showing ratios of spices. Mix up a batch and you will have an start on a lot of Indian cooking.

For those looking to use dried beans for this recipe, check out this guide from Serious Eats on dried/canned bean conversions: https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/04/is-there-a-ratio-for-converting-between-dried.html In short, most beans will double in weight & volume when cooked, so you could cook 1.5 cups (about 9 oz by weight) of dried beans to end up with roughly the right amount of cooked beans. (This will vary a little between types of beans, but is a good starting point.)

I made it without the cheese or cream on top and it was delicious! I think the dairy would tone down the flavor of the spices. I used half kidney, half chickpeas, one whole serrano. I think this one is a keeper.

Just a comment about step 2. This is the most critical part of making the sauce. If the onion puree under cooked, you will taste them. And, if you go a bit over in time, the puree will burn. My recommendation would be to lower the heat when the puree is staring to turn golden and keep cooking a bit longer while stirring constantly until the oil starts separating from the puree.

My dad is Punjabi and my mum cooks the cuisine often. I must respectfully suggest to not purée the onion raw. Instead, place the whole onion (skin and all) directly on the rack in the oven at 350ish for at least an hour. My mum would sometimes do it directly on the stovetop and get the skins charred black. Then peel and purée with spices. Great umami flavor that will kick any curry up a notch- just try it!

Delish! Not too heavy or overly spiced. I served it over a bed of basmati rice and uncooked spinach leaves. The pickled red onions are a great touch. Next time I will double them.

Some tricks to simplify: There's no need to puree the onions, you can just chop them finely and cook them till they are really brown, that'll do it. Pureeing the onions makes it harder to fry them properly. And you can chop up the tomatoes too. for this recipe it's really best to start with dry beans, soak them overnight and cook them before adding them to the tomato gravy. If you have an indian store near you, buy some rajma masala. That will give you the right spice combination.

I would pick something based on how much heat you want - Serrano (hot), Jalapeño (med), Anaheim (Mild). These would probably be commonly available. Most others in the market I would use for other purposes.

Perhaps it depends on where you live. I found garam masala in the McCormick Gourmet spice section.

As usual - interesting recipe. But it would be easier for your international readers if the weights and temperatures were also given in grams and C