Chana Pulao
I make this fragrant Chana Pulao with soft boiled chickpeas and fluffy basmati rice infused with warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. It's my go-to one-pot recipe that brings my family together and fills the kitchen with the most amazing aroma!
Equipment
- 1 Large pan
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Oil Neutral oil, or ghee for extra flavor
- 4 Onions, small Finely sliced
- 2 Black cardamom
- 3 Cloves
- 4-5 Black peppercorn
- 2 Green cardamom
- 1 Cinammon stick
- 1 teaspoon Cumin, black
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-garlic paste
- 150 grams Boiled Chickepeas
- 1 cup Basmati rice washed and soaked for half an hour
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Yoghurt
- 2 Green chillies
Instructions
- Heat ¼ cup of cooking oil in a pan, on medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté until they turn goldenb rown.
- Once the onions are caramelized, add all the whole spices: black cardamom, green cardamom, cinammon, cumin, black peppercorn, and cloves. Let them fry to release their aroma.
- Next, add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, and sizzle. Add ½ cup of water and salt. Cover the pan and let it cook.
- Uncover and mash the onions with a spoon.
- Now add 2 tablespoon yoghurt and mix. Cover the pan and let it cook for 2 to 3 mintues.
- Add the boiled chickpeas, rice, water, salt, and the green chilies.
- Cook it partially covered, on high flame for 5 minutes.
- When the water has reduced halfway, cover the pan and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce the flame to a low simmer, cover the pan and let it cook on dum for 10 minutes.
- Your Chana pulao is ready to serve!
Video
Notes
The more you fry the onions, the darker the color of the pulao rice will be. Well-caramelized onions will give the rice a traditional golden brown color.
When frying the whole spices, wait until you can smell their aroma, then add the next ingredient.
The rice should be washed and soaked for half an hour before cooking. If you are using Sella rice, then soak it for at least 2 hours before cooking.
If you use dried chickpeas, soak them for 8 hours, then pressure cook for 5-7 minutes, or in a pan for about 40 minutes. Remember that dried chickpeas double in size when cooked, so 1 cup of dry chickpeas will yield 2 cups of boiled chickpeas.