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Chana pulao
Chickpea pulao
چنا پلاؤ (chana pulao): Karachi roadside rice cooked with chickpeas and whole spices
From carts parked outside Karachi offices at lunchtime, chana pulao is ladled onto paper plates with a dollop of raita and a few onion rings: long-grain rice cooked in a spiced stock with chickpeas until every grain is separate and fragrant. Browned onion gives it a golden colour and a gentle sweetness, while cloves, cardamom and black cumin scent the steam. The usual mistake is stirring the rice once it goes in, which breaks the grains and makes it sticky; once the water is in, just cover and leave it alone. Chef's tip: let the rice absorb most of the water over a high heat, then seal the lid with a tea towel and give it 10 minutes of dum on the lowest heat so it steams through.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 12 ½ oz basmati ricewashed and soaked for 30 minutes
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionsthinly sliced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 cloves
- 4 green cardamom podslightly cracked
- 1 cinnamon stickabout 5 cm
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 14 oz cooked chickpeasabout 1 tin, drained
- 3 green chilliesslit
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 ¾ cups hot water
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Soak 12 ½ oz basmati rice in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain.
30 minStep 2: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide heavy pot over a medium heat and fry 2 onions, stirring, for 10–12 minutes until evenly deep golden. Lift out half the onion to use as a garnish.
12 minStep 3: Add 1 tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp black cumin (shahi zeera), 4 cloves, 4 green cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves and 8 black peppercorns and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
1 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, then 14 oz cooked chickpeas and 3 green chillies and fry for 2 minutes so the chickpeas take on the spices.
2 minStep 5: Pour in 2 ¾ cups hot water with 1 ½ tsp salt and bring to a rolling boil. Taste the water: it should be as salty as sea water, since the rice soaks it up.
3 minStep 6: Add the drained rice, stir once gently and boil uncovered over a high heat until the water has sunk below the surface of the rice and small craters appear.
8 minStep 7: Cover with a lid wrapped in a tea towel and cook on the lowest heat for 10 minutes. Turn off and leave for 5 minutes.
10 minStep 8: Fluff gently with a fork, scatter with the reserved onion and serve with raita and kachumar salad.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chana pulao take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of basmati rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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