Weekend Dinner - Channa Pulao

Pulao is a great party dish. It’s loved by many and can make cooking for a group fun. That is the opinion that my mother has on party cooking. So instead of the regular Pulav, variations will help in making the meal different and tasty. A few days back I had Corn and Peas Pulao for weekend lunch.

This Sunday, the main dish was Chana Pulao. Chana - also called as Bengal Gram, chickpeas, Garbanzo Beans etc is used in many Indian dishes especially curries. This recipe can be made for either lunch or dinner and goes great with either raitas or vegetable kurma.

Channa Pulao decorated with cucumbers, onions and black grapes

Channa Pulao

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice or Basmati Rice - 2 cups
• White Kabuli Channa - 1/2 cup
• Tomatoes - 4 (big)
• Coconut - 1/2 (small)
• Onion - 1/2 cup (chopped)
• Garlic - 8 flakes
• Oil - 4 tablespoons
• Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cardamoms - 2 to 3
• Cloves - 3 to 4
• Bay leaf - 1
• Garam Masala powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Ghee (clarified butter) - 2 teaspoons

Grind Together:

• Onions - 3 Nos.
• Red chillies - 10 Nos.
• Cumin Seeds - 2 teaspoon
• Garlic - 10 flakes
• Grated fresh coconut - 4 tablespoons or 1/2 small

Method:

For Grinding:

1. Heat a teaspoon of oil.
2. Fry red chillies, cumin seeds, garlic, and onions.
3. Cool and grind along with coconut and tomato.

For Pulav:

1. Soak rice for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Drain water completely.
3. Soak Chana overnight and pressure cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Peel garlic; heat oil in a heavy vessel or cooker. fry cardamom, cloves, and bay leaf.
5. Add garlic and fry till brown.
6. Then add slit green chillies and onion.
7. Fry for a minute and then add ground masala paste.
8. Fry till a good aroma comes out.
9. Add salt, little sugar, Garam masala powder and boil for a few minutes.
10. Add cooked channa and to it, add 2 3/4 cups of water and let this boil.
11. When it starts boiling, add rice, mix well and cook for a whistle (in a cooker) or cover with a tight lid on top (if you’re using a pan).
12. Cook for 20 minutes. Do not disturb in between.
13. After it is cooked, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and fried cashew nuts. Serve hot with easy vegetable Kurma.

So, do you think you can make a great dish out of this recipe. Let me know the results…