Rajma Masala
Nostalgia served warm
Get directions ↗ · 2 min walk from Grand Mercure
Last orders 30 minutes before closing
Dine-in · takeaway · delivery via GrabFood and LINE MAN
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rajma?
Rajma refers to red kidney beans.
How is it cooked to be so soft?
The beans are soaked overnight and then pressure-cooked until completely tender.
What type of gravy does it have?
It has a thick, homestyle onion and tomato gravy.
Is it a heavy dish?
It is filling and filling, providing a great source of protein and fiber.
What is the traditional accompaniment?
It is most famously enjoyed with steamed basmati rice(Rajma Chawal).
About Rajma Masala
Rajma Masala is the kidney-bean curry that anchors so many Punjabi households, rajma being the Hindi word for red kidney beans. Cooked the way it is at home, it is a slow, comforting dish rather than a quick one: the beans give up just enough of their shape to thicken the gravy while staying recognisably whole, landing in texture somewhere between a creamy dal makhani and our firmer Chana Masala.
We soak the beans overnight in our kitchen and then simmer them long and low, several hours over a gentle flame, with ginger-garlic, tomato and a Punjabi-style spice blend ground fresh in-house each day rather than taken from a jar. The tomatoes and aromatics come in fresh from Makro, and the unhurried cooking is what gives the gravy its thick, homestyle body, as some of the beans break down into the sauce and lend it a natural creaminess. Our Uttarakhand-trained chef keeps it at a friendly medium, and the chilli can be raised or lowered to taste.
The flavour is deep and savoury with the soft, almost buttery kidney beans carrying the spice, the gravy rich without relying on cream. It is filling and high in plant protein and fibre, the sort of dish that makes a meal on its own. Ghee features in the regular preparation, but as a halal-friendly vegetarian kitchen with no pork we can switch to oil and keep it dairy-free for a vegan order. By far its most famous partner is plain steamed basmati, the combination known across India as rajma chawal, though it is just as welcome with jeera rice or a soft roti. A little raw onion or pickle on the side rounds it out.
Eat in at our 30-40 seat dining room in Huai Khwang (try the Dastarkhan floor seating), or get it delivered. Visit BHARAT →
See also: the Main Course - Veg menu · Indian vegetarian food in Bangkok · our fresh paneer dishes · halal-friendly kitchen.