Ingredients and Method to make Rajma / Bean Toast
1/2 cup dry red kidney beans (rajma)
1 small onion cut fine (pyaaz)
2 Thai or Indian variety green chilies ( hari mirch) ( or to taste)
1 clove garlic (lehsun)
1/2 tsp finely grated ginger (adrak)
Salt to taste (namak)
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro (coriander leaves/ hara dhania)
To assemble
Grated cheese as required (optional) ( use vegan cheese for a vegan version)
A
little bit of butter/ clarified butter / oil to apply on the bread (
use oil for a vegan version, I prefer extra virgin olive oil )
Tomato ketchup as required (optional)
8 to 10 slices of multi grain bread ( or any other wheat or white bread)
Soak
red kidney beans/ rajma in sufficient water overnight or for 7 to 8
hours. Discard the water the beans were soaked in, fill with 1 and 1/2
cups of fresh water and pressure cook on medium heat for a couple of
whistles, then lower heat and cook on low heat for 25 minutes, then
switch off the heat. This ensures the kidney bean/ rajma cooks very
soft. Once the pressure subsides, remove kidney beans, mash coarsely
with a pototo masher and keep aside.
Heat
oil in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat, add onions, green chilies,
garlic and ginger and sauté until onions turn translucent.
Add
cooked red kidney beans and salt to taste and simmer for a few minutes
until the mixture thickens a little and the flavors mingle. The mixture does not have to thicken too much, it thickens a little
after cooling as well, so do keep that in mind when removing from heat.
My picture below was taken a little early, use the picture of the bean
mixture on the bread as a guide Garnish with
cilantro / dhania and keep aside to cool a little.
You
can make this bean mixture a day or two ahead if you are planning this
for a weekend breakfast and do not want to fuss with it in the morning.
Heat
a flat pan / tawa / griddle on low to medium low heat. To assemble the
toast, apply butter/ clarified butter/ ghee / oil to one side of a slice
of bread. Spread a little of the bean mixture to the other side of the
bread. If you want to apply a little ketchup, you can add a little on
top and spread a little, then top with grated cheese and place on the
tawa/ pan, cover with a lid and cook until the lower side of the bread
is golden brown and the cheese has melted on top. Remove and serve hot
with ketchup on the side.
Notes :
The
ketchup on top of the toast is entirely optional, I've made this with
and without the ketchup and both versions taste equally good.
Similarly the cheese is optional too, I've made it with and without the cheese and it tastes good both ways.