Rajma Tikki

Ingredients:

500 gm                 Black Rajma (soaked overnight)
20 nos.                 Peppercorns
2 inch piece          Cinnamon
7 - 8 nos.             Cloves
3 -4  nos.             Black Cardamom
2 – 3 tbsp            Mustard Oil
1 nos. (medium)   Onion (cut into dices)
100 gm                Amul Curd (hung)
As required         Ghee
1 tsp                   Mustard seeds
½ tsp                  Ajwain
½ tsp                  Turmeric powder
1 ½ tsp               Red Chilli powder
½ tsp                  Asafoetida
To taste              Salt
1 tbsp                Ginger (finely chopped)
1 tbsp                Green Chillies (finely chopped)
1 tbsp                Fresh Coriander (finely chopped)
1 tsp                  Garam masala powder
100 gm              Besan
2 tbsp                Chhunda

Method:

1. In a pressure cooker, combine the rajma with a bundle of the whole spices (peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom), mustard oil and diced onion. Add thrice the amount of water as the rajma and pressure cook for about 8 to 10 whistles.
2. Meanwhile, whisk the hung curd in a bowl and keep aside.
3. In a small frying pan, heat 2 tbsp ghee, add mustard seeds and ajwain. When spices crackle, remove pan from flame and add a pinch of turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, salt and a pinch of asafoetida.
4. Add the prepared tempering to the whisked hung curd and mix well. Keep aside to cool.
5. When rajma is pressure cooked and pressure has settled, open the cooker, remove and discard the spice bundle and strain the rajma reserving the water. Cool the rajma.
6. When rajma cools, grind it to a smooth paste.
7. In a large mixing bowl combine the ground rajma with ginger, green chillies, fresh coriander, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt and mix thoroughly. Mix in the besan and knead so that the mixture comes together. (Add in more besan if required) Divide the mixture into small portions.
8. Shape each portion into a tikki and stuff each tikki with a teaspoonful of chhunda. Shallow fry the tikkis using ghee on a tawa, remove and drain on an absorbent paper.
9. Serve the hot rajma tikkis topped with a dollop of hung curd dip.