Chana Pulao (Indian Chickpea Rice)
Chana pulao presents a single-vessel creation, combining fragrant basmati rice with tender white chickpeas (garbanzo beans or kabuli chana), piquant onions, tangy tomatoes, nutritious herbs, and robust spices. The result is a spiced, aromatic, and utterly delightful chickpea rice dish.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients For Chana Pulao
- ¾ cup white chickpeas (garbanzo beans or safed chana or kabuli chana or chole)
- 1 cup heaped basmati rice, 200 grams rice
- 1 medium to large onion, sliced thinly
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 pinch Garam Masala
- 1 pinch turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 1 pinch saffron strands – optional,
- ½ teaspoon lemon or lime juice or 1 teaspoon yogurt (curd)
- 2 tablespoon Ghee or oil
- 1.75 cups water for pressure cooking the rice
- a few chopped mint leaves for garnish (or coriander keaves)
- salt as required
Whole Spices
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 small green cardamom
- 2 single thin strand of mace
- 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
For The Green Paste
- ¾ to 1 inch ginger – chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic – chopped
- 1 tablespoon mint leaves – chopped
- 3 tablespoon coriander leaves – chopped (cilantro)
- 1 green chili – chopped
- ½ to 1 tablespoon water for grinding
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse and soak white chickpeas (chana or chole) overnight or for 8 to 9 hours in enough water.
- Drain them well.
- Then add the drained chickpeas to the pressure cooker. Add 3 to 3.5 cups water.
- Also add about 1/2 tsp of salt and pressure cook for 12 to 14 whistles or more, till the chickpeas are tender and cooked well.
- Drain the cooked chickpeas and keep aside.
- Rinse the rice very well in water till the water runs clear of starch.
- Then soak the rice in enough water for 30 mins. Strain and keep aside.
- Make a smooth paste of the ingredients, mentioned under ‘green paste’ in a chutney grinder or magic bullet with very little water. Keep this green paste aside
- Slice the onion and chop the tomato.
Making Chana Pulao
- In a pressure cooker heat ghee or oil and add all the whole spices – caraway seeds, cardamoms, mace, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf.
- Saute the whole garam masala or whole spices for some seconds till fragrant, and then add the sliced onions.
- Saute the onions till golden brown.
- Now add the green paste and saute till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute for two minutes.
- Next add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala powder.
- Saute the tomatoes for a minute or so and add the basmati rice. Mix well and saute the entire mixture for a minute.
- Add the drained cooked chana (chickpeas).
- Add the curd or lemon juice, saffron threads and again mix everything well.
- Now add 1.75 cups of water.
- Season with salt and pressure cook the pulao for 2 to 3 whistles. I pressure cooked for 2 whistles.
- When the pressure settles down on its own, then only open the lid of the cooker.
- Gently fluff the rice. Garnish with coriander leaves or mint leaves.
- Serve chole pulao hot with raita, pickle, papad or any veg salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 526kcalCarbohydrates: 89gProtein: 15gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 856mgPotassium: 700mgFiber: 12gSugar: 8gCalcium: 107mgIron: 4mg
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