Name: Kidney Bean Curry in Air Fryer
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: FOR THE SAUCE; 1 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil or oil spray; 2 medium onions (approx. 250g/9oz), thinly sliced; 1 red or orange bell pepper, cut in half, seeds and membrane removed; 2 green finger chillies; 1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste; 70ml (1/4 cup) unseasoned passata; 125ml (1/2 cup) vegetable stock, stock cube stock fine; 1⁄2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste); 1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric; 11⁄2 tsp ground cumin; 11⁄2 tsp ground coriander; FOR THE CURRY; 1 – 2 tbsp rapeseed (canola) oil, optional; 600g (21oz) tinned (canned) kidney beans, strained; ½ tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves); ½ tsp garam masala; Salt to taste; Coriander (cilantro), to garnish

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Kidney bean curry or 'Rajma' is so easy to prepare in an air fryer.

As vegetarian curry recipes go, kidney bean curry is one of the easiest and also most popular. You can opt to make it the authentic and more traditional way like in this recipe.

This air fryer kidney bean curry, however gets very similar results. In fact, I bet you'll love it just as much. No need to get those frying pans out. Give this air fryer rajma a try soon.

Kidney bean curry or 'rajma' served in an air fryer pan at the table.

About this recipe.

I wanted to see how a kidney bean curry would taste when cooked completely in an air fryer. Having prepared many curry recipes in my air fryer like these, I knew it would work.

And it did! All you need is heat and air fryers have plenty of that. Make this air fryer rajma and you'll love it. This recipe serve one to two people and is very similar to those served at curry houses around the UK.

Tinned vs. dried kidney beans.

This air fryer kidney bean curry is meant to be quick and simple. For this reason, I recommend using tinned (canned) kidney beans. They are ready to go an no fuss.

You will get better value for money if you purchase dried kidney beans. These take a bit longer but you can store the cooked beans in the fridge or even freeze them for later use.

To cook the dried beans, you normally need to soak them first and then simmer until tender. You should read the cooking instructions on the packaging. One benefit of cooking your own kidney beans is that you can substitute some of the cooking liquid for some of the vegetable stock for additional flavour.

How do you air fry kidney bean curry?

All of the air fryer curries on my website start the same way. You first air fry sliced onions, bell pepper and sometimes chillies for about 10 minutes to soften.

Then you blend these ingredients with the rest of the sauce ingredients. You then air fry the sauce blend for about 10 to 15 minutes until heated through. Then stir in the beans and finish off the recipe.

The whole process takes about 20 minutes and the curry is so good!

How long can you store leftovers in the fridge?

You should be able to store any leftovers you have in the fridge for about 3 days, wrapped tightly. As the kidney bean curry sits in the fridge, the flavours will develop and it will be even better.

This means you really can have an air fryer cooking day, store what you make and take your curry out when you're ready to eat it! You can reheat it in your microwave or even place it back in your air fryer to reheat until hot enough to serve.

Can you freeze kidney bean curry?

Yes and your kidney bean curry will freeze well for up to six months. Be sure to store it in an air tight container. Label the container with the date and what is in it before freezing.

Step by step photographs.

The ingredients for the curry prepared and ready to cook. — Get all your ingredients prepared before you start cooking. It's easier that way.

Air frying the sliced onions, bell pepper, chillies and garlic and ginger paste. — Pre-heat your air fryer to 200°C/400°F. Coat the onions, chillies and bell pepper with oil and cook for 10 minutes stirring halfway through. Add the garlic and ginger paste for the last two minutes.

All of the sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl. — Pour these cooked ingredients in a mixing bowl or blender and add the remaining sauce ingredients.

Blending the sauce ingredients until smooth in a blender. — Blend these sauce ingredient until smooth.

Heating the sauce in a small pan in the air fryer. — If adding the oil, heat it for a couple of minutes. Then pour in the sauce to cook at 200°C/400°F for 10 minutes.

Adding the strained kidney beans to the sauce in the air fryer. — After 10 minutes, add the strained kidney beans and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes or until hot enough to serve.

Adding the kasoori methi, garam masala and salt to the curry. — When hot, add the kasoori methi by rubbing it between your fingers over the curry. Add the garam masala and season with salt to taste.

Stirring the kidney bean curry at the table to serve. — Give it all a good stir and serve. This air fryer kidney bean curry tastes amazing.

Spooning the kidney bean curry into a plastic container for later. — This curry can be stored in the fridge for 3 days or frozen to eat later for up to 3 months.

If you like this rajma recipe, you might like to try some of these air fryer recipes too.

See more Air Fryer Indian Recipes →

Love Indian Vegetarian Recipes? Why not try one of these too...

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Yield: 2