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Kala Chana Pulao | Chana Rice Recipe | Black Chickpeas Pulao
Kala chana pulao is a pulao of black chickpeas and rice seasoned with aromatics and spices.
This high-protein, high-fibre, low-fat one-pot meal is a quick and convenient option when you are in a hurry or just too tired to cook an elaborate meal, but still want to eat delicious food.
Follow our easy chana pulao recipe for a healthy, nutritious, wholesome meal, which is also delicious, flavourful, and satisfying.
Added bonus: it’s vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Our kala chana pulao recipe is a wonderful dish for weekend lunches, dinner parties, and potlucks. It’s also a great lunch box or tiffin box option for both children and adults.
Learn how to make kala chana pulao that is a perfectly balanced one-pot meal that will have your guests demanding second helpings.
Our black chickpeas pulao recipe is irresistible, with its enticing fragrance of whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, clove, green cardamom, black peppercorn, and cumin seed.
Garam masala and pindi chana masala enhance the flavour and taste of this chana or chickpea rice dish. Saffron and turmeric impart a beautiful colour and flavour, nicely balancing the hearty and earthy chickpeas and the aromatic basmati rice.
If you don’t have basmati rice, you can use any other long grained rice for this brown chana recipe.
If you are in a hurry, you can use canned chickpeas, which do not need to be soaked, boiled, or pressure cooked. You can cook them directly with the masalas in step 5 in the recipe below.
In this kala chana pulao recipe, it is essential to place the pulao on dum (sealed over low heat) for 10 to 12 minutes for the flavours to blend and develop. Do not omit this step – it just takes 10 minutes but makes a world of difference to this chana pulao recipe.
Gently fluff the black chickpeas pulao with a fork when it is done. Garnish with coriander leaves or mint leaves if you like, though the fried cashew nuts sprinkled on top before giving dum already look wonderful.
Serve delicious kala chana pulao hot and fresh with any cooling raita of your choice. Tomato and onion thayir pachadi, bhindi raita, cauliflower and cucumber raita, mixed vegetable raita, pomegranate raita, or boondi raita are good choices.
Fresh garden salad or kachumber, along with hari chutney, pickle (achar), and papad make excellent accompaniments.
For a more lavish meal, serve kala chana pulao with side dishes like paneer butter masala, aloo gobhi, lauki kofta, dum aloo, chicken tawa masala, chicken curry, dal sultani, or egg kurma.
Wash it all down with a mango lassi or plain lassi for a yummy and satisfying meal.
Watch our quick kala chana pulao video and learn how to prepare and make kala chana pulao at home with all ingredients & easy cooking method.
Also, take a look at all our delicious Rice Recipes right here!
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RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
200 grams basmati rice, (about 1 cup), or other long-grain rice
100 grams kala chana (black chickpeas), about ½ cup, soaked overnight in water to cover by 2-inches
1 tablespoon ghee
1 bay leaf (tej patta)
1 stick cinnamon, or cassia bark, about 1-inch in length
2 green cardamom pods
5 black peppercorns (sabut kali mirch)
2 cloves (laung)
3⁄4 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ginger paste
1 1⁄2 teaspoons garlic paste
2 green chillies, deseeded, finely chopped
100 grams onions, (about 1 medium onion), finely chopped
100 grams tomato, (about 1 medium tomato), finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1⁄4 teaspoon coriander powder
1⁄4 teaspoon garam masala
1 1⁄2 teaspoons pindi chana masala
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1 1⁄2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chana water
1 tablespoon ghee
1 pinch saffron, soaked in 2 tablespoons water for 30 minutes
1 tablespoon cashew nut, fried or roasted
COOKING METHOD
- Cook rice: Place rice in a bowl and wash under running water, gently stirring and mixing the rice with your hands, draining each time the bowl fills up. Do this 2 or 3 times till the water runs clear; then let soak in fresh water, covered, for 30 minutes. Drain.
- Place a separate saucepan over medium heat and add rice and 4 cups water. Let water come to a boil, then cook about 10 minutes; rice should be soft but not overcooked. Drain and set aside.
- Cook kala chana (black chickpeas): Drain kala chana and tip into a pressure cooker over high heat. Pour in water to cover by 1-inch, bring to a boil, then seal pressure cooker. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 20 minutes. Turn heat off and allow the cooker to cool before opening. Drain kala chana in a colander, reserving the cooking water for later use.
- Place a kadhai or wok over medium heat and pour in ghee. Once the ghee is hot, toss in bay leaf, cinnamon, green cardamom pods, black peppercorns, cloves, and cumin seeds. Give it all a good stir, then add ginger and garlic pastes. Add green chillies and stir. Slide in onion and sauté till the onion has browned slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Tip in chopped tomato and cook, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Toss in salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, and pindi chana masala. Stir well for 2 to 3 minutes, then tip in cooked kala chana (black chickpeas). Stir well to coat the kala chana with the masala, allowing it to absorb the flavours in the kadhai, 2 to 3 minutes. Tip in cooked rice and carefully mix together in a folding motion. Be gentle, as you do not want to break the rice, but thorough, so that the kala chana and rice are mixed evenly. Cook for about 2 minutes.
- Pour in lime juice and 2½ tablespoons reserved chana cooking water. Drizzle on ghee and saffron milk and then garnish with cashew nuts. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and place on dum for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Serves: 4 as part of a larger meal
Prep Time: 15 minutes plus 8 hours unattended soaking time
Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Cook rice: Place rice in a bowl and wash under running water, gently stirring and mixing the rice with your hands, draining each time the bowl fills up. Do this 2 or 3 times till the water runs clear; then let soak in fresh water, covered, for 30 minutes. Drain.
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