Rajma masala

Soak the beans in plenty of water with salt overnight or 6 to 8 hours.

Drain and rinse the beans with fresh water.

Pressure cook with the hot water, a little salt and a teaspoon of oil (to prevent foaming) for 20 minutes, or 25 for dark red beans; release the pressure naturally.

Grate the garlic and ginger almost to a paste on a microplane; blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree.

Mix turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder and ground coriander with four tablespoons of water into a spice paste.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, not smoking; add the bay leaf and cumin seeds and stir a few seconds until fragrant.

Add the chopped onions and a sprinkle of salt and cook on medium until soft and browned at the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the grated ginger and garlic and fry about a minute on low heat.

With the heat as low as possible add the spice paste, rinsing out the bowl into the pan; stir, then add the jalapeno and tomato puree and cook on medium until most of the moisture evaporates.

Add a ladle of beans and mash well with a potato masher or the back of a spoon to thicken the gravy.

Add the rest of the beans with all their cooking liquid and the salt; cover on medium-high heat 10 minutes.

Stir in garam masala at the end to keep its aroma, with coriander leaves; optionally a sprinkle of sugar to balance.

Adjust to the consistency wanted; serve with rice, roti or toasted bread.