[ID: A large, shallow dish full of golden brown rice with chickpeas, bits of tomato, and whole spices; it is garnished with mint and sliced almonds. End ID.]
Chana pulao (Pakistani-style rice and chickpea dish)
Chana pulao is a simple, tasty vegetarian staple common throughout various regions of India and Pakistan. It is often prepared during Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, but may be prepared year-round. Fragrant, fluffy basmati rice is cooked with aromatics, chilis, tomatoes, pungent spices, and herbs in this filling, one-pot meal.
Recipe under the cut!
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INGREDIENTS:
2 cups (240g) cooked chana (chickpeas / garbanzo beans)
2 cups (360g) dried basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
3 cups (710mL) water
1 shallot, sliced
2 roma tomatoes, diced (optional)*
2 green chilis, slit
1 green chili, sliced
10 mint leaves, chopped
1-inch chunk (10g) fresh ginger, julienned
4 cloves garlic, chopped and crushed
3 Tbsp neutral oil
Sliced almonds, fried in neutral oil until golden brown, to garnish (optional)
Whole spices:
2 Indian bay leaves (tej patta)**
3 pieces Ceylon / true cinnamon bark (dalchini), or substitute cassia cinnamon
2 green cardamom pods (elaichi)
2 Indian black cardamom pods (badi / kali elaichi)
1 star anise pod (chakri phool)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
5 cloves (laung)
2 Tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
2 Tbsp coriander seeds (dhania)
1 dried red chili pepper, crushed, or 1 tsp red chili flakes
Ground spices:
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp salt
1 tsp Indian chili powder (ground mirchi)***
1 tsp garam masala
All of these spices can be purchased whole or ground at an Asian or halaal grocery store. If you don't have any of the spices, you may omit them. Star anise and fennel both have a licorice-like aroma and may be substituted with each other or with aniseed. Black cardamom has a strong, smoky, camphorous aroma--if you don't have any, just use a bit more green cardamom, cinnamon, and clove.
*Tomatoes are a common add-on but are not strictly traditional in this dish. Add them in for the tangy flavor and additional color, or omit them for lighter, fluffier rice.
**Indian bay leaves are distinct from Turkish or California laurel bay leaves and have a different taste and fragrance. They will be labelled "tej patta" in an Asian or halaal grocery store, and have three vertical lines running along them from root to tip, rather than radiating out diagonally from a central vein. Omit these if you don’t have any.
***Mirchi is made from dried and ground red chilis and is distinct from chili powder, which contains various spices and dried aromatics in addition to ground chilis. Substitute with more red chili flakes, or with another ground red chili powder such as prik bon.
Instructions:
1. If using dried chickpeas: allow a cup (175g) of dried chickpeas to soak in plenty of cool water overnight (or quick soak by placing in a pot and covering in several inches of water, bringing to a boil, removing from heat and allowing to soak for an hour). After soaking, drain chickpeas and place in a pot covered by several inches of water; bring to a simmer and cook for an hour or two until tender. Optionally add a few crushed cloves of garlic, half an onion, and a bay leaf in with the water to flavor the chana.
2. Rinse rice in several changes of cool water until the water runs mostly clear. Cover it with cool water and allow to soak for about half an hour while you prepare the produce and spices.
3. Prepare your produce. Slice shallot by cutting the stem end off, placing each lobe flat-side-down, and slicing horizontally (perpendicular to the root). Dice tomatoes and cut a slit vertically in two green chilis; slice another green chili horizontally. Wash ginger (or peel it, if the peel seems particularly thick or tough) and julienne by slicing thinly in one direction to produce discs, then slicing the discs thinly in another direction to produce matchsticks. Roughly chop garlic and crush it with the flat of your knife. Rinse and roughly chop mint.
4. Heat a few Tbsp of a neutral oil on medium in a large, deep pan. Sauté larger whole spices--cardamom pods, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and black peppercorns--for 30 about seconds until fragrant. Add smaller seeds (coriander, fennel, and cumin) and fry for another minute until fragrant and a shade darker.
5. Add shallot and fry, agitating often, until golden brown. Add ginger, garlic, green chilis (sliced and whole), and crushed red chili / chili flakes and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Add ground spices and mint and sauté for a few seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
7. Add tomatoes and sauté for several minutes until water has evaporated.
8. Reduce heat to low. Add water, chickpeas, and rice and cook, covered, until rice has absorbed all of the water, 15-20 minutes. If your pan tends to stick or has a thin bottom, stir occasionally.
9. Allow to steam without removing the lid for another 5-10 minutes. Fluff and serve warm. Garnish with sliced almonds, cashews, mint, or lemon as desired.
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