Chana Pulav

My 102th recipe, "Chana Pulav", an extremely healthy dish. I did not have any special fondness towards chana while growing up. Apart from the occasional chana masala my mom made for chapati, it was usually the South Indian Sundal kuzhambu my mom prepared atleast once in a week. As a kid, though I loved both the dishes, I never really appreciated the health benefits provided by those dishes. Now-a-day with more and more awareness towards health, I have come to realize that chana is a super ingredient.

Chana is extremely rich in proteins, good for a healthy skin, very versatile, easy to use and tastes wonderful in any dish it is added to. Exactly what anyone would need to eat to stay healthy, especially kids. Since RK is fond of rice dishes made in pressure cooker, I experimented to come up with a healthy chana pulav. The first time I made this Chana Pulav, it was an instant hit. It is extremely tasty and different from the other pulav and biryani I used to make. Also it takes less than 30 mins to prepare and would be the perfect dish for your kid's lunch box 🙂

Chana Pulav

Chana Pulav

Revathi Palani

Chana Pulav is an easy to make and extremely healthy Indian rice dish, perfect for your kid's lunch box. Spiced Chickpeas pressure cooked along with rice.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• ½ Cup Chickpea | Chana
• ¾ Cup Basmati rice
• 1 Tbsp Ghee
• ¼ tsp Mustard
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 Cardamom
• ½ tsp Fennel seeds
• 1 medium Onion (thin sliced)
• 2 Green chilli (Slit)
• ½ tsp Salt (Adjust as needed)
• 1 Tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
• ¼ tsp Turmeric
• a large pinch Asafoetida
• ¼ tsp Roasted fenugreek powder
• ½ tsp Garam masala powder
• ½ Cup Curd | Yogurt
• ¼ tsp Jeera powder (Optional)
• ⅓ tsp Red chilli powder
• ⅓ tsp Chole masala powder (Optional)
• ⅓ tsp Coriander powder
• Coriander leaves - For garnishing
• Mint leaves - For garnishing

Instructions

 

• First wash and soak the chana over night. Then pressure cook them until tender with sufficient water, a pinch of asafoetida and salt. Keep it aside.
  <br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-1.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />&nbsp;<img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-2.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />
• Wash and soak the basmati rice for atleast 15 minutes.
  <br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-3.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />
• Now heat a cooker pan with ghee, add the mustard and once it splutters, add the bay leaf, cardamom and fennel seeds. Once the fennel seeds turn golden brown, add the onion, green chilli, salt and saute until the onion turns translucent.
  <br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-4.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />&nbsp;<img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-5.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />
• Turn the flame to low-medium, add the ginger-garlic paste give a quick stir. Then add in turmeric, asafoetida, garam masala, roasted fenugreek powder and stir well until the raw smell is gone. Take care to not burn the bottom, it would taste bitter.
  <br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-6.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />&nbsp;<img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-7.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" /><br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-8.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />
• Now add the cooked chana without water. Reserve the water used to cook chana for later. Give a stir and let the chana get cooked in the masala for a few minutes.
  <br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-9.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />&nbsp;<img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-10.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />
• Meanwhile take the curd in a bowl, add in jeera powder, red chilli powder, chole masala powder, coriander powder and mix well. Add this curd mixture to the chana masala and saute until the mixture turns slightly dry.
  <br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-11.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />&nbsp;<img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-12.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" /><br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-13.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />&nbsp;<img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-14.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />
  
• Now add the soaked rice. Add plain water and also the water you reserved from the cooked chana. Together they should measure ¾ Cup. Give a gentle stir and pressure cook for 1 whistle or 10 minutes in medium flame.
  <br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-15.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />&nbsp;<img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-16.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />
• Turn off the flame and Wait until the pressure subsides. Open the lid and garnish with chopped coriander and mint leaves. Give a gentle mix without mashing the rice strands.
  <br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-17.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />&nbsp;<img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cap-18.jpg" alt="pulav" width="48%" />
• Enjoy hot and enjoy with any raitha, chips or veggie side.
  <br><br><img src="//revi.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/chana-pulav-1.jpg" alt="chana pulav" width="100%" />
  

Notes | FAQ

- You can also use fenugreek seeds instead of powder. In that case add it along with fennel seeds while tempering. But take care not to brown the seeds too much.

- Rice to water ratio should be 1:1

- Adjust the cooking time as per your pressure cooker and stove settings.

- You can even use normal heavy bottom pan and cook covered instead of using a pressure cooker. But it will take extra time. Adjust the water quantity accordingly.