Though rajma masala is distinguished as a desi, Indian cuisine, dish, the bean itself was initiated in Mexico and Peru and entered first on the coasts of India (where the bean is not so prevalent) with several European merchants and travelers in the 15th and 16th centuries. Ancient Indian texts don’t cite the bean at all because it wasn’t obtainable in India until the Columbian exchange of the 15th and 16th centuries. Numerous ingredients that are run-of-the-mill in Indian food today, such as potatoes, tomatoes, chilies, and more, came with the Portuguese who transported these from the New World and brought them into a trend in the sub-continent where they occupied ports like Goa and Mangalore. 

Globalization isn’t new happening. It has been from place to place for centuries, determining our food, culture, and lifestyles, bringing us closer in ways our ancestors would conceivably have never imagined. We have more resemblances between people and their practices from other cultures than we may contemplate and admit.

Growing up, rajma was expected at every desi’s place. On nights when we saw our mothers steep up rajma in a bowl, we knew the next day would be a joyful one. We could predict the smells that would puff from the pressure cooker, and we knew we would be impatient to eat

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