Chickpeas Pulao
Chickpeas Pulao is an easy and simple recipe that you must try once. It is a healthy and delicious meal packed with protein.
See, Vegan Biryani and Turmeric Potato Rice
Chickpeas pulao is also popularly known as “channa pulao”. It is a traditional, but simple Indian-Pakistani recipe cooked with rice, cooked chickpeas, onions, spices, and a variety of fragrant herbs. Its taste is mild but deep. It is definitely a delicious dish that I’m sure every Indian or Pakistani has had at some point in time.
It is great for lunch or dinner. This one-pot meal will fill you up and give you energy. Plus, it’s low in fat, high in fiber, and rich in protein so healthy is the word here. It’s no surprise that pulaos are often referred to as a “poor man’s feast”.
This one-pot, simple, incredibly healthy, and delicious dish is also a great weeknight meal. It reheats beautifully as well, making it perfect for packing in lunches for the following day.
It uses easy-to-find ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
There are numerous such recipes available. With few alterations, you can cook a variety of pulao. This recipe is simple and delicious. If you are ok with rice substitutes like quinoa or millet, you can try these other versions too.
AS ALWAYS SCROLL DOWN FOR THE DETAILED RECIPE, BUT I SUGGEST YOU DON’T SKIP READING THE INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THE BLURB.
Why I Love Chickpeas?
I always have chickpeas at home as they are readily available, and are a cheap but complete and versatile nutrition source. They contain a few essential amino acids, which are important for healthy human function. They are ideal for vegetarians and vegans because they are a superb source of non-animal protein.
The vitamins and minerals are also abundant in chickpeas. These include iron, magnesium, potassium, folate, and choline. Additionally, they are rich in vitamins A, E, and C. Chickpeas have numerous health benefits, including:
- Control blood sugar.
- Promote Weight Loss
- Lower cholesterol
- Help with digestion.
- Reduce your cancer risk
- Boost your mental health
- Prevent Constipation
Chickpeas are very versatile, they can be used to make many recipes including falafel, hummus, Curry, Chickpea Tacos, Vegan Chickpea Burger, Stew, Chickpea Tacos, and much more.
Ingredients For Chickpeas Pulao
- Long-grain basmati rice: Long-grain aromatic basmati rice is the best! They are light on the stomach, very flavorful, and fragrant.
- Chickpeas: the base ingredient and star of this recipe. Soaked overnight and boil with ½ tsp. salt, until soft.
- Onions: Yellow onions work best for this rice. You can use white or red as well. They both work well.
- Tomatoes: Red juicy fresh tomatoes, add the perfect zingy flavor. You may use tomato paste
- Green chilies: Add heat. Fresh green chilies are the best! optional
- Button red chilies: Button red chilies are one of my favorite Ingredients used in tempering and they look very appetizing. optional – I used cayenne pepper
- Bay leaf – Aromatic spice, a staple for pulao and biryani.
- Cumin seeds – For a nutty flavor, aid digestion, and add the perfect aroma!
- Red chili flakes – My personal favorite ingredient! Add the perfect heat! You may replace it with paprika.
- Salt – The most crucial flavor enhancer in any dish is salt. If your rice isn’t salted enough, your pulao won’t tasty at all well. I use pink Himalayan salt.
- Coconut yogurt – Yogurt is another important ingredient of this pulao. Coconut yogurt is quite different nutritionally from regular yogurt, having little protein or calcium and significantly more fat.
- Oil – You may use any, I used avocado oil.
How To Make Chickpeas Pulao?
- Rinse and soak rice for half an hour before cooking.
- You may boil chickpeas or use canned ones, both taste equally good.
- In a pan heat some oil, and fry dry spices i.e. cumin, button red chilies, and bay leaf.
- Fry some onions until golden and add chopped tomatoes.
- Fry a little and add red chili flakes and salt.
- Add in yogurt and fry until the masala separates from the oil.
- Add boiled chickpeas and water according to the soaked rice.
- Let the water come to a boil, add in rice, and let it simmer on medium flame until excess water evaporates.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is done.
- Serve with some vegan yogurt and fresh salad.
What Should I Serve With My Chickpeas Pulao?
A rice dish that is great on its own and complements anything, chickpeas pilau has long been one of my favorites. It goes so well with any type of curry, yogurt, chutney, or even just a straightforward salad on its own! There are a lot of different dishes you can serve it with, but I think Black-Eyed Pea Fritters, Vegetable Patties, Bombay Potatoes Recipe, and Vegan Curry Chicken Recipe would particularly go together nicely. In addition, good raita will do wonders!
How To Store Chickpeas Pulao?
This dish in an airtight container can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. If kept for a long time, the coconut yogurt may spoil or turn sour due to the fat’s rancidity.
If preserved in an airtight container, this meal can be freezer for up to a month.
How Do I Reheat Leftovers?
To reheat cold rice and chickpeas, place them in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for a few minutes.
To defrost, put it in the fridge or microwave it for a few minutes.
Sprinkle some water on the rice to rehydrate it.
Tips & Notes For Chickpeas Pulao!
- If you want perfectly cooked rice in your pulao, the cooking time is important (fully cooked yet maintaining shape).
- The spices and chilies can always be changed to suit your preferences.
- Using vegetable stock or bouillon cube will give your dish a deeper, richer flavor.
- The chickpea pulao can also use potato, cauliflower, carrot, tofu, or paneer cubes as additional ingredients.
- Yellow onions are my preferred choice for the basis of a Pulao. In comparison to white onions, they have a richer, sweeter flavor. You can use red onion to also aid in darkening the color of the pulao.
- This takes me to my second point: people frequently ask me how I make my pulao color better. Onions are the main focus! The color of your pulao will depend on how dark your onions are. Consider the onion to be a rice dye. Therefore, rice will be wonderfully colored when red onions are cooked extremely well (not charred, just a lovely dark hue).
- When making pulao, I almost always use basmati rice as the rice of my choice. Sella basmati rice can be used in place of regular basmati rice if you frequently face mushy, uncooked, or unevenly cooked rice. Sella rice is extremely hard to mess up.
- This recipe asks for raw chickpeas, but canned chickpeas taste the finest. Use the same quantity of canned chickpeas in place of the thoroughly cooked chickpeas in this recipe.
My Other Amazing Chickpea Recipes:
- General Tso Chickpeas
- Chickpea Stew
- Vegan Chickpea Curry Recipe
- Chickpea Salad Wraps
- Chickpea Noodle Soup
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Pulao?
Pulao is a rice dish that is made in one pot. It is made with basmati rice, spices, and/or meat, vegetables, or both. Pulao can be made in a variety of methods, including chicken, beef, carrot, pea, chickpeas, potato, etc.
Do not confuse pulao and biryani; they are different.
What Is The Difference Between Pulav (Pulao) And Biryani?
The primary distinction between these two recipes lies in rice preparation.
Pulao: In pulao, the rice, chickpeas/veggies, and other components in pulao entirely absorb the water used to prepare the dish; everything is cooked in the same pot.
Biryani: In order to prepare a vegetarian biryani, the rice is first boiled in water, drained, dried, and then piled with other ingredients.
How Long Will Chickpeas Pulao Stay Fresh?
This Chickpeas Pulao can remain fresh for three to four days if refrigerated in an airtight container. You can reheat it in the microwave for a few minutes when you want to eat it.
What Goes Well With Chickpeas Pulao?
The Chickpeas Pulao is itself a meal, typically served with fresh salad, raita, or gravy on the side, such as salan.
Is Coconut Yogurt Healthy?
In addition to biotics, coconut yogurt comes from coconut, which is itself a functional food because of its purported health benefits, including being a source of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber as well as offering defense against some viruses and bacteria.
Give this chickpeas pulao recipe a try. It’s incredibly delicious and super easy. I hope you like it. As always, I would love to hear from you. So if you tried this recipe or any other from my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. Thanks for visiting my Recipes, and I hope to see you again soon!
Other Vegan Rice Dishes
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Chickpeas Pulao
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 green chili sliced or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 tablespoons coconut yogurt
- 1 cup chickpeas cooked
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice washed and drained
- 3 cups water
Instructions
- Rinse and soak rice for half hour before cooking.
- You may boil chickpeas or use canned ones both taste equally good.
- In a saucepan heat some oil, and fry dry spices i.e cumin, button red chilies, and bay leaf.
- Add onions and cook until golden for about 5 minutes, stir in chopped tomatoes, yogurt, and salt, and cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in cooked chickpeas, rice, and water
- Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender and water evaporates.
- Remove pulao from the heat and let it sit, covered for 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork.
So yummy