FOR THE LOVE OF MEXICAN REFRIED BEANS is how this recipe came to be. I love making pinto beans from scratch - some may say obsessed. It's one of my family's favorite recipes. And, it got me thinking. Why not make an Indian version that could be slathered on a fresh roti or naan and topped with an Indian crunchy salad? Much like an Indian-themed taco. It worked! The kid reaction was hilarious. When I offered it up to my younger daughter on these naan bites, the first thing she said was, 'Oh, this is rajmah ... why didn't you just say that?' Indeed. It is rajmah, our Punjabi kidney bean chili, but well, different. And, why not? This spread is perfect for those on-the-go lunches when a soupy curry is not going to work but when you still want your Indian fix. Give it a try with our dark red kidney beans which we now sell on this site. If you decide to purchase the kidney beans from us, I'll even send you a sample of our amchur powder, which we will be selling soon. If you have not yet discovered this amazing spice you don't know what you are missing. Made from unripe green mangoes, it adds tartness to a dish without moisture. So, instead of adding lemon or lime juice, I often reach for amchur powder to give my beans, lentils, veggies, and protein some tanginess. If you want to try that Mexican Refried bean recipe just click here. If cooking on the stovetop, kidney beans take about an hour to soften. I will add those notes in the coming week. xoxo Anupy.
Instant Pot: Indian Refried Rajmah, Kidney Beans
Pressure Cooker Size: 3 quart or larger
Warm Up: 21 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Cool Down: 10 minutes natural release + manual release
TOTAL: 1 hour 16 minutes
Makes: x cups
2 cups dried kidney beans, picked over and washed *
1 medium yellow onion, minced and divided
6 cloves garlic, minced and divided
4-6 Thai chiles or 1 Serrano, stems removed, minced and divided (keep seeds & membrane)
2 bay leaves
4 cups water, for cooking
1 tablespoon avocado oil (or another vegetable oil)
1 tablespoon ghee or unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon amchur powder
1 tablespoon unsalted tomato paste
2 teaspoons salt
1. Soak the beans in hot, boiling water for at least 1 hour or in room temperature water for 6 hours to overnight. Drain and discard the water. Many recipes skip the soaking - and if you do, increase the cook time to 50 minutes. Keep in mind that it is important to soak kidney beans (even more so than other legumes) at least 10 minutes to remove natural anti-nutrients. Always discard this soaking water, which is different than the cooking water, which you always want to save and use later.
2. To the inner pot of the Instant Pot, add the soaked and drained beans, ½ the onion, ½ the garlic, ½ the chiles, the bay leaves, and the cooking water. Stir. I add the salt later because it can impede kidney beans from softening.
3. Lock the lid into place and make sure the pressure release valve is set to the sealing position (upwards). Press the PRESSURE COOK button and then press the PRESSURE LEVEL button until the panel reads HIGH. Adjust the cook time to 45 minutes.
4. Once the cooking is complete, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Then, manually release the remaining pressure. Press CANCEL and remove the lid. Drain the cooked beans over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid. Remove the bay leaves and save for the next step. Pour the cooking liquid into a jar and save - some for Step 6 and the rest to keep in the fridge.
5. Replace the inner pot in the Instant Pot base. Select the SAUTE setting and adjust to NORMAL. When the indicator flashes HOT, add the oil and ghee. Once warm, add the bay leaves (it’s okay that they are a little wet), the turmeric, black pepper, and the remaining onion, garlic, and chiles. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom. I like getting as much flavor out of my bay leaves as possible. If you want to make a proper tarka you can add a dash of asafoetida or hing as well.
6. Add the cooked beans back into the pot and add the amchur powder, tomato paste, and salt. With a potato masher or an immersion blender mash the beans down and stir the ingredients until they all pull together. Add small amounts of the reserved cooking liquid to loosen the beans up until they are your desired consistency. I end up using about a ½ cup of cooking liquid. Press CANCEL when finished and remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve warm. The beans will last in the fridge for about two weeks. They also freeze beautifully. When reheating simply used the reserved cooking water to loosen them up - this way you never lose flavor.
* There are many varieties of kidney beans. I like cooking with dark red, which we now proudly offer on our site.
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