Kabuli Chana Pulao is a one pot recipe where spices, chickpeas and rice are cooked together till the rice is fluffy. It's a delicious weeknight dinner that doesn't take long to cook and tastes best when paired with raita.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, nigella seeds and fennel and let the seeds crackle.
Next add bay leaf, cardamoms and cinnamon and fry for a few seconds. Add the onions and fry till they are slightly brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for ½ a minute stirring continuously.
Add boiled chickpeas along with potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and salt and cook for two minutes stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, turmeric and chilli powder and cook for another minute or two. Next add the soaked rice and 2 cups of water. Also add the garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. Give this a quick stir.
Once the rice comes to a boil, lower the heat and cook covered till the rice is done and all the water has been absorbed. Take off the heat. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve hot garnished with the chopped coriander.
Notes
Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas can be used in this recipe. Just drain off all the liquid and give them a quick rinse before adding them to the pot
Rice: You can substitute short grained rice for basmati rice. The cooking time will have to be adjusted
Vegetables: Apart from the vegetables mentioned above, beans, mushrooms, paneer also taste great in this pulao
Water: To add more flavor, you can use vegetable or chicken stock instead of water
Vegan Chana Pulao: To make this recipe vegan, use oil instead of ghee