Channa Pulao / Pattani Pulav ( Chole Pulao )

Chana Pulao / Chole Pulao

Recipe Details

Allow an additional 10 hours or overnight for soaking the dried chickpeas. The 10-minute rice soaking time is included in preparation.

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Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• Basmati rice – 2 cups
• White chickpeas / Chana – 1/2 cup, dried
• Water – 2 cups, for pressure cooking the chickpeas
• Ghee – 2 tsp
• Oil – 3 1/2 tsp, divided
• Onion – 1, chopped
• Tomatoes – 3 large
• Green chilies – 4, slit
• Ginger-garlic paste – 1 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup, chopped
• Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
• Dry fenugreek leaves / Kasuri methi – 1 tbsp (optional)
• Cinnamon – 1-inch piece
• Cardamom – 2 pods
• Cloves – 3
• Bay leaves – 2
• Fresh coconut – 1/2 coconut, grated or chopped, for making coconut milk
• Coconut milk – 1 3/4 cups, extracted from the coconut above
• Water – 1 1/2 cups, for cooking the pulao
• Salt – to taste
• Additional water – as needed for soaking rice and chickpeas and blanching the tomatoes

To Roast and Grind

• Onion – 1
• Dried red chilies – 8
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
• Garlic – 5 cloves
• Fresh coconut – 2 tbsp

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Preparation

1. Rinse the dried chickpeas and soak them in plenty of water for at least 10 hours or overnight.
2. Drain the soaking water and pressure cook the chickpeas with 2 cups fresh water until tender but still holding their shape.
3. Allow the pressure to release naturally, drain if necessary, and keep the cooked chickpeas aside.
4. Rinse the basmati rice and soak it in enough water for about 10 minutes.
5. Drain the rice completely.
6. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the drained rice.
7. Fry gently until the surface moisture evaporates and the rice becomes lightly aromatic. Avoid browning it too deeply. Keep aside.
8. Heat a little of the measured oil in a small pan.
9. Add the onion, dried red chilies, cumin seeds, garlic, and 2 tablespoons coconut listed under “To Roast and Grind.”
10. Sauté for a few minutes until aromatic. Cool and grind into a smooth masala, adding only a little water if needed.
11. Chop the remaining onion and coriander leaves and slit the green chilies.

Prepare the Tomato Puree

1. Bring enough water to a boil in a saucepan.
2. Add the tomatoes and blanch for about 2 minutes.
3. Remove the tomatoes, allow them to cool enough to handle, and peel off the skins.
4. Blend the peeled tomatoes into a smooth puree and keep aside.

Prepare the Coconut Milk

1. Grind the grated coconut with warm water and strain to extract the first coconut milk.
2. Grind the coconut pulp again with a little more warm water and strain a second time.
3. Combine the extracts and measure 1 3/4 cups coconut milk for the pulao.

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Cooking Instructions

1. Heat the remaining oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
2. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves.
3. Fry briefly until aromatic.
4. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook until the raw aroma disappears.
5. Add the slit green chilies and chopped onion.
6. Sauté until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
7. Add the freshly ground onion-red chili masala.
8. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the masala loses its raw aroma and becomes fragrant.
9. Add the tomato puree, salt, optional dry fenugreek leaves, and garam masala.
10. Cook for about 2 minutes.
11. Add the cooked chickpeas and mix gently.
12. Pour in 1 3/4 cups coconut milk and 1 1/2 cups water.
13. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
14. Add the ghee-roasted basmati rice and mix gently once so the rice is evenly distributed.
15. Bring it back to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot tightly and reduce the heat to low.
16. Cook without stirring until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 18–20 minutes. Check toward the end since cooking time can vary with the rice and pan.
17. Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for about 10 minutes.
18. Add the chopped coriander leaves.
19. Fluff the pulao gently with a fork or wide spoon so the grains remain separate.
20. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.

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Tips

Cook the Chickpeas Until Tender: The chickpeas should be fully cooked but should still hold their shape so they do not turn mushy when mixed with the rice.

Fry the Rice in Ghee: Gently frying the drained basmati rice in ghee adds aroma and helps the grains remain separate while cooking.

Coconut Milk: Measure the extracted coconut milk before adding it to the pulao. The original recipe uses 1 3/4 cups coconut milk along with 1 1/2 cups water.

Spice Level: This recipe uses 8 dried red chilies in the ground masala plus 4 green chilies, so it can be quite spicy. Reduce the chilies according to your preference.

Do Not Stir While Cooking: Once the rice has been added and the pot is covered, avoid stirring. This helps prevent the basmati grains from breaking or becoming sticky.

Pressure Cooker: If using a pressure cooker, use your usual pulao or rice-cooking method rather than keeping the cooker under pressure on low heat for an extended period. The liquid requirement may also need adjustment depending on the cooker.

For Potlucks: If preparing this ahead for a gathering, refrigerate promptly after cooling and reheat thoroughly before serving rather than leaving cooked rice at room temperature for an extended period.

Serving Suggestion

Serve Chana Pulao hot with onion raita, cucumber raita, plain curd, or a simple salad.