Leftover Rajma Kebab

Rajma kebab is a protein-rich delectable snack made from kidney beans. It is a vegetarian version of the popular Galouti kebab from the Awadhi Cuisine in which kidney beans replace the meat. I have made this Rajma kebab from the leftover Rajma Masala. The recipe is vegan and gluten-free and you can shape the kebab before hand and refrigerate them until use. I have shallow fried the leftover rajma kebab in little oil until golden brown from both sides. These kebabs are crisp from outside and moist and succulent from within. They are melt-in-mouth types with not a very firm texture. Rajma kebab can be served as flavorful appetizer with green chutney and some salad . They make for a perfect tea-time snack and you can also roll them in wraps with salad and dip as a wholesome meal.

What is Rajma Masala?

Rajma masala is a healthy and delicious red kidney beans curry from the Punjabi Cuisine. Basically, it is a mildly spiced, creamy thick gravy with onion tomato base in which soaked and cooked rajma (kidney beans) are simmered with basic Indian spices. Rajma masala is a regular affair at my place on weekends. It makes for a soulful lunch or dinner with jeera rice and phulka. But what do you do with the leftovers ? Either you can reheat and eat it again with rice or give it a flavorful makeover, like this rajma kebab.

                               

What goes into my Rajma Kebab?

Since, i have made this Rajma kebab using the leftover Rajma Masala, the obvious star ingredient is a cup full of this curry. The rajma curry has to be strained first to remove the gravy. Strained rajma are mashed with boiled potatoes which make the base of our kebab. As the rajma has flavors from the spicy curry,  we need to just add little red chili powder and salt. Finely chopped onions and fresh coriander leaves give the kebab a refreshing feel and believe me , no one can make out that the kebab are made from leftover curry. a dough is made with all these ingredients. If you feel the kebab dough is sticky or difficult to work with, you may add a bit of roasted gram flour or roasted oats powder for binding the kebab or to give it a firm texture. I have not added either of them. Finally the formed kebab are shallow fried in little oil until crisp and golden brown from both sides.

In case, you do not have a leftover rajma curry and you wish to make the rajma kebab fresh, You have to soak the kidney beans for 6-8 hours and pressure cook them until done. Now, since the rajma in this case, is not flavored. You will have to add garam masala, amchur powder or lime juice, ginger garlic green chili paste to the mashed rajma and potatoes . Follow rest of the recipe as mentioned below and make the kebab.

Before moving ahead, let's look at the health benefits of eating Kidney Beans a.k.a. Rajma.

Kidney bean is a variety of the common bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris). It is named for its visual resemblance in shape and color to a kidney. Kidney beans are a rich source of folic acid, calcium, carbohydrates, fiber, and proteins.

                                    

 Health Benefits of Kidney Beans: Source

• Lowers Cholesterol - The high content of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber in kidney beans lowers cholesterol levels in the blood.
• Good for Diabetes - The low glycemic index of rajma balances the sugar content of the body.
• A powerhouse of protein - Kidney beans have high protein content and can serve as a great substitute for meat in vegetarians.
• Helps in weight loss - Kidney beans keep one full for a longer time due to a large amount of dietary fiber. Also, the low-fat content makes it a wholesome low-calorie meal.
• Strengthens the bones - The manganese and calcium present in the kidney beans make the bones stronger and help in preventing osteoporosis.

For more recipes using Kidney beans, check out the following from this blog.
Rajma Masala,  Rajma Pulao,  Rajma Sundal,  Minestrone Soup with Kidney Beans

Leftover Makeover @Healthy Wealthy Cuisines

I am a part of a Facebook gourmet group, Healthy Wealthy Cuisine where in participating bloggers share recipes every fortnight on a pre-decided themes. Leftover Makeover is the current theme suggested by Narmadha who is a wonderful person and a versatile food blogger. Her blog is a home to many recipes from both regional Indian and international cuisines. Also, do check out her space if you are looking for different non-vegetarian dishes. For this theme, she wanted us to share food recipes made from leftover food. Rajma masala is a regular affair at my place on weekends and there is really no taker for the reheated leftover curry in my house. So either i make rajma pulao or rajma kebab with the leftover rajma masala and believe me the whole batch is vanished in no time. Checkout the following contributions by my fellow bloggers on this theme.

• Oats Banana Cookie by Seema
• Spicy rava cutlets by Vanitha
• Leftover Raita Uttapam by Sasmita
• Leftover upma uttapam by Narmadha
• Leftover Airfried cutlets by Swaty

                             

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 7

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Rajma Masala
• 2 small boiled potatoes 
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2-3 tablespoon oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Strain the rajma masala curry using a soup strainer to separate the rajma from gravy. Mash the strainer rajma in a mixing bowl.

2.  Add the boiled potatoes, finely chopped onion , coriander leaves, salt and red chili powder to mashed rajma. Mix everything very well and do a taste test at this point. Add more salt, red chili powder or lemon juice if required.

3. Roughly divide the kebab mix into 6-7 equal portions. Roll out each portion in the palm and flatten slightly to make tikki shaped kebabs. Make all the kebabs similarly and arrange on a plate. Keep the kebab plate in refrigerator for 10 minutes so that the kebabs become firm and hold shape. This step is optional.

4. Heat a greased skillet on medium flame. Arrange the kebabs on it and drizzle oil around the kebabs. Shallow fry the kebabs for 5-7 minutes on low to medium flame. Now, delicately flip it and cook until it turns crisp and golden brown in colour.

5. Serve the healthy and delicious Rajma Kebab with green chutney, onion rings and lemon wedges at tea time and enjoy a flavorful treat with your loved ones !

Recipe Notes:

• If you feel the kebab dough is sticky or difficult to work with, you may add a bit of roasted gram flour or roasted oats powder for binding the kebab or to give it a firm texture. 
• In case, you do not have a leftover rajma curry and you wish to make the rajma kebab fresh, soak kidney beans overnight and pressure cook until soft. Now, since the rajma in this case, is not flavored, add garam masala, amchur powder or lime juice, ginger garlic green chili paste to the mashed rajma and potatoes . Follow rest of the recipe as mentioned above and make the kebab.
• You can make the rajma kebab ahead of time and refrigerate it until serving time. Just shallow fry the shaped kebabs until crisp and golden brown from both sides.
• You can roll the rajma kebabs in whole wheat wraps with some salad and creamy dip and enjoy it as a wholesome meal.

I hope some of you would love to try out this recipe. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the comment section below this post. All your suggestions are also more than welcome. If you like my work and feel it is worth following, do hit the follow button at the top right corner of this blog. Your appreciation means a lot to me. For more recipes and new updates follow us on social media.

• Facebook Handle: https://www.facebook.com/poonambachhavblogspot/
• Instagram Handle: https://www.instagram.com/poonambachhav/
• Twitter Handle: https://twitter.com/poonampagar_B
• Pinterest Handle: https://in.pinterest.com/poonambachhav/

Related Post:

• Hara Bhara Kebab

                                  

• Vegetarian Shami Kebab

                                  

• leftover Dal Paratha

                                  

• Gulgule from leftover sugar syrup

                                 

• Instant Chapati Ladoo

                                

• Leftover chili paratha