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1
Drain the soaked kidney beans and cover with fresh cold water in a deep saucepan, then bring to a vigorous rolling boil and boil uncovered for a minimum of 10 minutes — the prolonged rolling boil at this stage is what breaks down the heat-sensitive compounds that can cause serious harm if the beans are merely simmered. Drain the beans, reserving 750 ml of the cooking liquid, which must be visibly starchy and cloudy so that it carries the accumulated bean flavour into the finished curry rather than being lost.
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2
Return the parboiled beans to a pressure cooker with the reserved cooking liquid and seal the lid, cooking on high pressure until the beans are fully soft and creamy at the centre — press a single bean between two fingers and it must yield completely with no chalky resistance, because a bean that still has any firmness now will never fully absorb the masala later. Allow the pressure to release naturally so the beans finish in their own steam and do not tighten from a sudden pressure drop.
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3
Heat the ghee in a heavy-based pan over a medium-high flame, add the cumin seeds, and fry until they sizzle and darken by one shade so they release their full fragrance into the fat before anything else enters the pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are a deep amber-brown and have reduced to roughly one-third of their original volume — the onion must smell sweet and toasted, not raw, because under-caramelised onion at this stage cannot be corrected once the tomatoes go in.
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4
Add the tomatoes and ground coriander and cook over a medium flame, mashing and stirring, until the tomato has lost all excess moisture and the masala pulls cleanly from the sides and base of the pan into a thick, cohesive paste with a deep red colour and a sheen of separated oil at the surface — this is where the dish lives or dies, because thin, undercooked masala will coat the beans unevenly and the curry will taste of spiced beans rather than an integrated preparation. The oil separating at the edges is the cook's signal that the tomato's water is gone and the paste is ready.
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5
Add the pressure-cooked beans along with all their remaining cooking liquid and stir thoroughly to combine, so the masala is fully suspended in the liquid rather than sitting beneath it. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for a minimum of 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are visibly swollen with masala colour and the liquid has thickened to a sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
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6
In a small separate pan, melt 1 tbsp ghee over a low flame, add the besan, and stir continuously until it turns a shade darker and releases a nutty, roasted aroma — keeping it moving over a low flame prevents the flour from scorching, which would turn the finished curry bitter. Stir this into the curry immediately; it should thicken perceptibly within 2 minutes and carry a faint nuttiness on the nose.
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7
Stir in the garam masala, then taste and adjust salt — garam masala goes in last so its top notes, which cook off quickly, remain present in the finished dish. The curry should taste mineral and full, with the spice supporting rather than dominating the bean; serve over plain steamed basmati rice with raw white onion alongside.