Red Kidney Beans Punjabi Style

I am so pleased to share this recipe with you ~ because it is absolutely delicious!
It is so rich and creamy I don't make it often, but I absolutely relish it when I do make it.
The recipe is from Madhur Jaffrey and it is so different from the other red kidney bean curry recipes that are full of tomatoes and chili!
This is how I make it:

Punjabi Rajma

Soak one cup of dried red kidney beans overnight in plenty of water.
Drain and rinse (there they are above).
Put them in the cooking pot and cover with water bring them to the boil. Let them boil for 10 minutes. Skim of any froth if necessary.
Then add 2 thin slices of ginger and cook them until tender. This takes 8 minutes in my pressure cooker.

When they are cooked drain them, reserving the liquid.
Put them back into the pot with enough liquid (about 3/4 cup) to make into the 'gravy'.
Mash about half the beans so that they thicken the dish and create the texture (you can blend half and then add them back in)
Then add
a teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 tbsps of lemon juice
1/4 tsp of garam masala
3 tbsp rich cream

In a small frying pan heat 3tbs ghee (I use half oil)
when it is hot add
1 tsp cumin seeds. let them sizzle for a second and then add
2 finely chopped garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp finely grated ginger
then add three whole dried chililies and let it all sizzle until the chilies are puffed.
Pour the spices (the tarka) into the beans and stir.

Let it sit on a low heat, stirring as it heats up, just so that it begins to bubble.
This makes the gravy turn into the sexiest  garlic cumin cream with the lemon and ginger giving it a wonderful lift. O yum it is gorgeous!

I ate them simply for lunch with rice and lettuce,

but they would really prefer to be eaten with fresh chapatis.

Guess what I am making next!

Edit: If you use small whole dried chilies, remove them before serving! Otherwise you or a guest might get a horrible shock!

Edit 2: It goes SO WELL with roasted veggies!  Yum yum yum!