This Easy Chana Pulao Recipe or Indian Chickpea Rice is a flavorful and wholesome Indian rice dish made with chickpeas, fragrant basmati rice, and aromatic spices.
Ready in just 30 minutes, it is a simple one-pot meal that makes a delicious lunch or dinner. The tender chickpeas add a lovely texture and make this pulao both satisfying and nutritious.
Kabuli chana pulao is a great option for a satisfying and nutritious lunchbox recipe for kids as well as adults, and you don't need any sides with it. I make this delectable pulao whenever I have extra boiled chickpeas at home.
You can prepare this pulao either in a pot or pressure cooker. You can also use Instant pot for making chickpea rice.
Fine more rice recipes here: Matar Paneer Pulao, Restaurant Style Jeera Rice, South Indian Lemon Rice
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Why Should You Make Chana Pilau
This Chana Pilau Recipe is
- Vegan
- Protein rich
- Easy-to-prepare
- Lunchbox friendly
- Gluten-free
Chana Pilau Ingredients
Chickpea: Chickpea, also known as chana, is the key ingredient of the pulao. I cook dried chickpea from scratch and whenever there is some boiled chickpeas available in my pantry I prepare this pulao. You can also use canned chickpeas.
Basmati Rice: Choose any fragrant rice of your choice, preferably long grain. I prefer basmati for long grain and aroma. Rice with shorter grains becomes mushy, hence avoid using them in pulao.
Whole Spices: Bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cardamom, clove are mandatory ingredients of pulao. They lend flavor and aroma to the pulao.
Powder Spices: I have used turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder in this recipe. As I have used whole spices (garam masala) hence avoided garam masala powder.
Oil: Generally, I use vegetable oil to cook this chana pulao, and you can add one teaspoon of ghee at the end. Vegan can avoid adding ghee.
Others: Onion, ginger and tomato are other important ingredients of this rice recipe.
How to prepare Chickpea Rice
Cooking time for the chickpea rice recipe is reduced if you have leftover boiled chickpeas or canned chickpeas in your pantry.
If you are making using dry chickpeas from scratch, then first step is to soak the chickpeas in water for 6 to 8 hours.
Then add them to a pressure cooker along with around 3 cups of water and some salt, and cook for 6-7 whistles or until the chickpeas are cooked.
Heat oil in a pot and add whole spices into it. Once the oil become fragrant, add the chopped onions and sauté them until they are translucent. Next add ginger paste and cook until the raw smell disappears.
Add the dry spice powders now, including the red chilli, coriander, and turmeric powders. After thoroughly combining, add the chopped tomatoes and cook them until they are soft.
Next add cooked chickpeas and mix them well with spices. After that, add the cleaned and rinsed uncooked rice and continue to sauté for a short while.
Now add required water to cook the rice and cover the pan with a lid. Cook the rice until it is done and all the water has been absorbed on medium to high heat.
Remove the lid after 15 to 20 minutes to see if the rice is cooked and the water has dried up. Turn off the gas and give it another five minutes to rest. You can top with ghee if you'd like. If you follow vegan diet, then avoid adding ghee. This is completely optional.
Gently fluff the rice. You can use coriander leaves as a garnish. Chickpea rice is ready to serve.
You can also cook chana pulao in pressure cooker. Follow the same steps and add required water and close the lid. Cook for 2 whistles on high heat and later lower the heat and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and allow to cool and release the pressure. At this stage no water should remain in the pressure cooker. Remove the lid and fluff the rice.
You can also prepare this chickpea rice in instant pot as well as in rice cooker.
How to serve Chana Pulao
This one-pot rice dish is an ideal meal for hectic or lazy days. The best part is that you don't need any sides with this rice. You can pair this with curd or raita or any salad of your choice. Isn't it great?
Storing Tips
At first allow to cool the chickpea rice before storing. After cooling store the rice in a dry airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
You can re-heat the rice in microwave or stovetop.
FAQ
If you are making the dish from scratch, soak chickpeas overnight or at least 6–8 hours for best results. If using canned chickpeas, soaking is not required.
Adding more liquid than recommended can result in soggy rice. Let the cooked pulao rest undisturbed for 5–10 minutes after depressurizing before fluffing with a fork.
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Easy Chana Pulao Recipe
Materials
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- â…” cup Chickpea or Garbanzo Beans Boiled
- 2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 no Onion, large finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Paste
- 1 no Tomato, small finely chopped
- â…” teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 no Bay Leaf
- 1 inch Cinnamon
- 1 no Cardamom
- 2-3 no Clove
- 1 teaspoon Ghee optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot and add whole spices into it.
- After few moments oil become fragrant, at this point add chopped onions and cook until they become translucent.
- Add ginger paste and sauté the ginger paste until the raw smell is gone.
- Now add the dry spice powders including salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and red chilli powder. Mix well
- Next add chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes turn soft.
- Add cooked chickpeas and combine well with spices.
- After that add washed and cleaned uncooked rice and sauté for couple of minutes.
- Add required water to cook the rice and adjust the salt. Cover the pan with a lid. Allow to cook under medium to high heat until all the water is absorbed and rice is cooked.
- After 12-15 minutes remove the lid and check if the rice is cooked and water is dried up. Switch off the gas and allow to rest it for few minutes. If you want, can add ghee on top.
- Gently fluff the rice. You can garnish with coriander leaves. Chickpea rice is ready to serve.
Nutrition
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