Chickpea Pulao: A One-Pot Rice Dish

Author:

Rozlin loves to cook with different nutrirional ingredients and she wants to share their benefits with her readers.

Yummy white chickpea pulao garnished with coriander leaves

Delicious Chickpea Pulao

Chickpea pulao is a one-pot spiced rice dish made with basmati rice, chickpeas, onions, tomatoes and spices. Other names for chickpea are gram, bengal gram, garbanzo bean, kabuli chana and chole.

This pulao is beloved by children and adults alike. I prepare this pulao frequently for my family, and my husband likes to pack it in his lunch box. He really enjoys this pulao with raita and salad.

Cook Time


Prep time	Cook time	Ready in	Yields
20 min	30 min	50 min	3 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
6 black pepper
4 cloves (laung)
1 cinnamon stick (dalchini)
1 bay leaf (tez patta)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (zeera)
1/2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon green chilli paste
Salt, to taste
1 chicken stock cube (optional)
250 gm chickpeas
500 gm basmati rice
4 cups water, or as needed
1 tablespoon curd (yoghurt or dahi)
1 pinch garam masala powder
1 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Rinse and soak chickpeas in water overnight (or 8 to 9 hours).
Drain the chickpeas well and then transfer to a pressure cooker.
Pressure cook the chickpeas with some salt and water until they are tender and cooked well.
Rinse the rice very well in water till the water runs clear of starch.
Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. Strain and set aside.
Heat a cooking pot and add oil.
Once oil is hot, add dry spices (black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, zeera). Sauté for 30 seconds.
Add thinly sliced onion. Sauté until golden brown. Then add a little water and cover it for 1 minute.
Remove the lid and add ginger-garlic paste and green chilli paste. Sauté until raw smell is gone.
Add roughly chopped tomato and mix well. Cover the pot on low flame to soften the tomato.
Once the tomato is softened, discard the tomato skin.
Add chilli flakes and dhaniya powder. Mix well.
Add whipped curd and mix well. Cook until oil separates.
Add chickpeas and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add chicken stock cube. Mix well.
Add water, salt, and lemon juice.
When the water boils, add soaked rice and mix well on high flame.
Check for salt and add water if needed.
When water dries and rice is cooked 95%, turn off the flame.
Sprinkle some garam masala powder, zeera and coriander leaves.
Cover and steam-cook on low flame for 10-15 minutes.
Serve this pulao with raita, veg salad, pickle or papad.