Spicy Pinto beans - (a rajma look a like...)

 Pinto beans  as are most other beans provide high quality protein . These are all necessary for growth and tissue building. Pinto beans are also rich in fiber. Dietary fiber helps to stabilize blood sugar levels
.Pinto beans are packed with iron, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, thiamin and folate.

Its so tasty ,so not just prepare regular refriedbeans ,add some spice  and prepare the same way as you use kidney beans. 

if you compare Pinto beans provide a little bit more fiber , protein  ,folate ,Magnesium than kidney beans. also it can be easily mashed.

serve it with rice for a one pot and filling meal.



Spicy Pinto beans
what you need :

  • 1 cups raw  pinto beans 
  • 3 tbsp canola /coconut oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1  medium onion (approx 1/2 cup when chopped)
  • 1 large tomato    (approx 1/2 cup when chopped)
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger
  • 2-3  green chilli (optional)
  • Handful of freshly chopped coriander
  • 1 tsp salt
  • whole spices
  • 2-3 cardamom
  • 2-3 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 tsp garam masala  ( or just add corriander powder+ cumin powder 1/2 tsp each)
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika / red chilli powder


process :

If you are using raw pinto beans, soak them overnight. 

cook them in a pressure cooker or boil them until soft.

mash them with a masher while its still hot.


heat oil in a pan.

add whole spices and and saute till cloves changes its color.

now add finely chopped ginger ,garlic ,onions and  masala.

cook till they the onion becomes pink/transulucent in color .

add cumin powder, turmeric powder ,paprika powder.

add finely chopped tomatoes and cook for about 5 min till the tomatoes are well cooked


Now add the mashed pinto beans ,salt 

mix well and cook on low heat covered for about 5-10 min 

garnish with chopped cilintro

Serve with brown rice, jeera rice, roti, chapatti or naan. or use it as a spread on the bread.

Note :  its very important to soak Beans/lentils before you cook for health reasons. soak for 8-10 hours. Discard the soaked water ..Soaking beans overnight in cold water helps not only in reducing cooking time ,but also reduces the compounds that make gas, which can cause bloating. Another soaking method is to place the beans in a pot, cover them with water and boil them for a few minutes. After boiling, let the beans soak overnight.

while cooking beans/lentils ,add water in ratio of minimum 1:2  for 1 cup of soaked beans ,add 2 cups of water. 

before mashing cooked beans,drain water . then mash. Do not discard drained water.add this water as needed to adjust your palates .

Nutrition info :
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 307
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11 g18 %
Saturated Fat 1 g4 %
Monounsaturated Fat 6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg0 %
Sodium 600 mg25 %
Potassium 753 mg22 %
Total Carbohydrate 38 g13 %
Dietary Fiber 10 g38 %
Sugars 5 g
Protein 12 g25 %
Vitamin A12 %
Vitamin C19 %
Calcium8 %
Iron19 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.


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