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    Home » Mains & Entrees

    Basmati Chana Pulao (Chickpea Rice)

    Published: Jul 23, 2021 by Meesha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Chana pulao in a bowl topped with chopped cilantro served with a fork with text overlay.
    2 images of a bowl of chana pulao topped with chopped cilantro with text between images.

    Make yourself some flavorsome and delicious basmati Chana Pulao, or chickpea rice in 30 minutes. Featuring fluffy basmati rice and creamy chickpeas, it will definitely leave you wanting for more. This chickpea pulao makes a great weeknight dinner that is vegan, filling and nutritious.

    Chickpea pulao in bowl served with fork and a glass of water.

    Rice and beans is unquestionably a staple in our household, be it Mexican black beans and rice or this chickpea pulao. I am certainly one of those Asians that can have rice 3 times per day!

    Jump to:
    • 💚Why you will love this recipe
    • ⏲Different rice to water ratio & cooking times
    • 🍚What you will need
    • 📓Notes / substitutions
    • 🍲Cooking chickpeas from dried
    • 🔪How to make
    • ✔Helpful tips
    • 🍛How to serve
    • ❔Commonly asked questions
    • 🍽More vegan rice dishes
    • 📖 Recipe

    💚Why you will love this recipe

    • A great quick and easy dinner - All you need to make this chana pulao are a few simple ingredients that you probably have on hand and 30 minutes. Plus, everything can be cooked in a pot, which means less dishes to clean!
    • Packed with aromatics and is utterly delicious - The use of various spices like star anise and ground coriander makes this dish extra delectable, leaving you wanting for more!
    • Filling, hearty and nutritious - The combination of slow digesting basmati rice and protein rich chickpeas makes chana pulao super satisfying to have.
    • A good lunchbox meal - This chickpea pulao is easily portable, and is suitable to be taken with you to school or work.

    ⏲Different rice to water ratio & cooking times

    This is only a general guide based on my past experience. Cooking pulao is definitely a trial and error process, so do play around with the water ratio and cooking time to get the perfect chickpea pulao!

    For Instant pot

    • White basmati rice - use 1 ¼ cups of water. Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes.
    • Brown basmati rice - Increase the water amount to 1 ¾ cups. You will need to pressure cook them for 21 minutes.
    • White rice (medium grain like Jasmine) - Use around 1 ½ cups of water. Cook for 3 minutes at high pressure.
    • Brown rice - You will need 2 cups of water. Cook for 23 minutes at high pressure.

    For stovetop

    To cook chana pulao on stove, bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Place the lid on and do not lift the lid until it is done cooking.

    • White basmati rice -Use 1 ¾ cups of water and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until rice is tender.
    • Brown basmati rice - Use 2 ¼ cup of water. Cook for 45-50 minutes.
    • White rice (medium grain like Jasmine) - Use 2 ¼ cups of water. It should take around 15-17 minutes to cook.
    • Brown rice - Use 2 ½ cup water . Cook for 45-50 minutes.

    🍚What you will need

    Ingredients needed like rice, chickpeas, onion, garlic and spices on a white marbled background.

    📓Notes / substitutions

    • Rice - I am using long grain basmati rice, but feel free to use any other long-grain or medium-grain rice of choice. Cooking time and water needed will differ slightly depending on rice used, so do check out the "rice to water ratio and cooking times" section above.
    • Chickpeas - Both chickpeas cooked from scratch and canned chickpeas can be used.
    • Oil-free - Use ¼ cup of water or broth to saute your aromatics in place of oil.

    🍲Cooking chickpeas from dried

    There are many pros in cooking your own chickpeas! It is cheaper, taste better and is better for the environment, just to name a few.

    🔪How to make

    Start by rinsing your rice in a fine mesh colander for 30 seconds to one minute.

    For instant pot

    Set pot to the "saute" mode. Heat up a tablespoon of neutral oil in the pot. Add in onion and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Next, add in garlic, star anise, chili powder and coriander powder. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

    Turn off saute mode and add in rinsed rice, chickpeas, water and salt. Seal the lid and set Instant pot to cook at high pressure for 3 minutes.

    When the rice is done cooking, let it release naturally for 10 minutes, before releasing the remaining pressure manually. Fluffy up rice using a fork, and chickpea pulao ready to be enjoyed!

    Collage of sauteing onion, adding in garlic and spices, and cooking chickpea pulao in an Instant pot.

    For stovetop

    Heat up a tablespoon of neutral oil on medium high heat in a large skillet or pot. Once pan is heated, add in onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent, stirring frequently. Next, add in garlic, star anise, chili powder and coriander powder. Saute for another 1-2 minutes.

    Add in rice, water, chickpeas and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Place the lid on and cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat.

    When rice is cooked, remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Using a fork, fluffy up your chana pulao, serve and enjoy!

    ✔Helpful tips

    • Avoid using short-grain rice - They tend to be sticky and mushy, which is not what you want for this chickpea pulao! Stick to long-grain or medium-grain rice.
    • Rinse your rice - This helps remove excess starch on the grains that causes your rice to be clumpy and mushy.
    • There is no need to soak your rice before cooking.
    • To make your chana pulao more flavorful, cook with vegetable broth instead of water. You might need to omit salt, especially if you are using one that is high in sodium.

    🍛How to serve

    Although this chickpea pulao is pretty hearty and filling on its own, you can also pair it with some delicious side dishes to compliment your meal!

    • Serve chana pulao with some creamy vegan raita, which is a yogurt based Indian sauce.
    • This dish also pairs great with lentil dal curry, or even this Thai red curry.
    • This delectable Indian quinoa salad is a great appetizer that works perfectly with basmati chickpea pulao.
    • You can even pair this with skewers like this tofu satay!
    Chana pulao in a white bowl with a fork topped with chopped cilantro.

    ❔Commonly asked questions

    What is the difference between pulao and biryani?

    The main difference between biryani and pulao is their preparation method. The process of making biryani is much more complicated. It involves parboiling rice in a pot of salted water, before adding to the rest of the ingredients like meat and vegetables.

    On the other hand, the cooking of pulao oftentimes only involves 1 pot, and all ingredients are cooked together in the exact amount of water so that all liquid will be absorbed completely when pulao is done cooking.

    The making of biryani also involves layering, in which parboiled rice and other partially cooked ingredients are layered on top of one another before further cooking. On the flip side, all ingredients in pulao are mixed together without any layers or separation of ingredients.

    Can I make it without onion and garlic?

    You can certainly omit onion and garlic in this chickpea pulao to make it jain friendly. It will still taste really good without them!

    How long can it be stored and can it be frozen?

    Refrigerate chickpea pulao in a sealed container and it should last up to a week. It is also freezer-friendly and can be frozen for 3 months. It is recommended to pre-portion them up before freezing.

    To reheat chana pulao from frozen, let it defrost in the fridge overnight, or at countertop for a few hours. You can also thaw it using the microwave oven "defrost" function.

    When they are completely thawed, you can either heat chickpea pulao up on stove, or in the microwave oven for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You might need to add a splash of water if the mixture appears to be dry.

    Chickpea rice served in a white bowl with fork and a glass of water beside.

    🍽More vegan rice dishes

    • Tofu fried rice in a white bowl with chopsticks.
      Vegan Chinese Tofu 'Egg' Protein Fried Rice
    • A plate of tom yum fried rice served with spoon with chilies, green onion and water beside.
      Easy Tom Yum Fried Rice
    • A close up shot of a bowl containing different components of the salad.
      Vegan Asian Brown Rice Salad
    • A close up of a plate of fried rice in a white plate with a fork.
      Thai Green Curry Fried Rice

    If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

    📖 Recipe

    Chickpea rice served with fork and a glass of water topped with chopped cilantro.

    Basmati Chana Pulao (Chickpea Rice)

    Meesha
    Make yourself some flavorsome and delicious basmati Chana Pulao, or chickpea rice in 30 minutes. Featuring fluffy basmati rice and creamy chickpeas, it will definitely leave you wanting for more. This chickpea pulao makes a great weeknight dinner that is vegan, filling and nutritious.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 289 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup basmati rice uncooked *
    • 1 medium red onion diced
    • 4 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 star anise
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon coriander powder
    • 1 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed (or 1 ½ cup cooked chickpeas)
    • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste, omit if using broth
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Start by rinsing your rice in a fine mesh colander for 30 seconds to one minute.
      1 cup basmati rice

    For Instant pot

    • Set pot to the "saute" mode. Heat up a tablespoon of neutral oil in the pot. Add in onion and saute until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
      1 medium red onion
    • Next, add in garlic, star anise, chili powder and coriander powder. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
      4 cloves garlic, 2 star anise, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder
    • Turn off saute mode and add in rinsed rice, 1 ¼ cups of water, chickpeas and salt. Seal the lid and set Instant pot to cook at high pressure for 3 minutes.
      1 cup basmati rice, 1 15 oz can chickpeas, ½ teaspoon salt
    • When the rice is done cooking, let it release naturally for 10 minutes, before releasing the remaining pressure manually. Fluff up rice using a fork, and it is ready to be enjoyed!

    For stovetop

    • Heat up a tablespoon of neutral oil on medium high heat in a large skillet or pot. Once pan is heated, add in onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until translucent, stirring frequently.
      1 medium red onion
    • Next, add in garlic, star anise, chili powder and coriander powder. Saute for another 1-2 minutes.
      4 cloves garlic, 2 star anise, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder
    • Add in rice, 1 ½ cups of water, chickpeas and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to a gentle simmer. Place the lid on and cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat.
      1 cup basmati rice, 1 15 oz can chickpeas, ½ teaspoon salt
    • When rice is cooked, remove from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes. Using a fork, fluff up the rice before serving.

    Notes

    *Rice - Feel free to use any long-grain or medium-grain rice like brown basmati rice, Jasmine rice and brown rice in place. Cooking time and water ratio will differ based on rice used, so I do recommend checking out the "Different rice to water ratio and cooking time" section in the post above.
    Storing leftovers - Refrigerate chickpea pulao in a sealed container and it should last up to a week. It is also freezer-friendly and can be frozen for 3 months. It is recommended to pre-portion them up before freezing.

    Reheating - To reheat from frozen, let chana pulao defrost in the fridge overnight, or at countertop for a few hours. You can also thaw it using the microwave oven "defrost" function.

    When they are completely thawed, you can either heat it up on stove, or in the microwave oven for 30 seconds to 1 minute. You might need to add a splash of water if the mixture appears to be dry.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 289kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 9gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 311mgPotassium: 305mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 167IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 3mg

    Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Stacy

      May 20, 2023 at 10:14 pm

      Are the stove top measurements accurate? One cup rice and only 1-1/4 cup water? I know the instant pot uses less water but I would think you’d need at least 2 cups of water on stove top.

      Reply
      • Meesha

        May 21, 2023 at 9:43 am

        I had forgot to mention that you will need 11/2 cups of water if cooking on stovetop!😅

        Reply
    2. Shellie

      March 24, 2022 at 10:01 am

      5 stars
      Fantastic recipe. I used brown basmati and I substituted a teaspoon of Chinese five spice for the star anise I don't have. I do have anise seed but wasn't sure how to substitute that. I look forward to having this again very soon with star anise. Delicious! Thanks, Meesha.

      Reply
      • Meesha

        March 24, 2022 at 4:33 pm

        I am so happy to hear that! 😊

        Reply

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