A Recipe For Chana Dal Pulao That Is Easy And Yummy

Chana dal is a protein-packed lentil used in kitchens across the country. Also known as split chickpeas or Bengal gram, it is often used to make masalas, for tempering dishes and even for some desserts. It is one of the main ingredients in the extremely popular South Indian snack medhu vada. 

Apart from being delicious and versatile, chana dal is also very nutritious. The calorie content of chana dal is fairly high, making meals made from it very filling and satisfying. It is rich in vitamin B-complex and essential minerals like magnesium and potassium. Not only that, but organic chana dal is also said to contain an even higher concentration of vitamins and essential nutrients because of the non-use of harmful chemical compounds.

Organic chana dal has a low glycemic index, which is a measure of the carbohydrate content in foods. It is also free from harmful pesticides and chemicals. This makes chana pulao made from organic chana dal suitable for people with diabetes.

This recipe for chana pulao is an extremely easy process. It is also incredibly delicious. While the best taste can be achieved by using ghee or regular cooking oil, olive oil can also be used as a healthy substitute.

It takes about forty-five minutes to make and serves four people. It is perfect for a relaxed weekend lunch and tastes best served with raita and some of your favourite pickle. Let’s see how chana pulao is made!

• 1 cup of organic chana dal (Bengal gram)
• 2 cups of rice
• 4 and a half cups of water
• 3 teaspoons cooking oil
• 2 medium onions (sliced or chopped)
• 2 green chillis (or according to taste)
• 1 and a half teaspoons of haldi (turmeric)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons of ginger-garlic paste
• 1 and a half inches dalchini (cinnamon)
• 3-4 elaichis (cardamoms)
• 1 teaspoon jeera (cumin)
• 1 star anise
• Lemon juice according to taste (approximately half a lemon should suffice)
• Pudina (mint) according to taste
• Salt according to taste
• Chopped coriander according to taste
• Carrots, peas and other assorted vegetables according to taste

How To Make Chana Pulao

Here’s how you can make a delicious serving of chana pulao –

1. First, we must prep the rice and the chana dal. The rice should be rinsed and soaked in water for up to half an hour before starting to cook. The chana dal needs to be rinsed thoroughly and soaked for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours. If not soaked for a sufficient amount of time, it will not cook properly. It will also require a lot more water than described in this recipe.
2. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker (or your vessel of choice) over medium flame. Add jeera and let it saute for a little bit.
3. Once the jeera starts to crackle, add the green chilli and onion. Saute until onions are translucent.
4. Next, add ginger-garlic paste and stir fry lightly until fragrant.
5. Add the chopped veggies and stir.
6. Add turmeric, garam masala and salt according to preference.
7. Add the remaining spices and bay leaves.
8. Add chopped or crushed pudina and mix everything thoroughly. Stir fry the spices and veggies for about a minute or two.
9. Meanwhile, drain the rice and chana dal which had been soaking. Add everything to the pressure cooker. Mix everything thoroughly once again such that rice and chana dal are coated in the masala.
10. Add 4 and a half cups of water to the pressure cooker.
11. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook on a medium flame for 3-4 whistles or as required. If using a different vessel, cook till rice is fully cooked. When the rice reaches a stage of almost being done, simmer at a low flame while keeping the vessel covered.
12. Once the chana pulao is cooked, garnish the dish with lemon juice and coriander and enjoy!

Conclusion

This recipe is an easy process to make chana pulao, resulting in a very tasty meal. It is also a flexible dish as it can be modified with respect to the vegetables that you can add to it. While carrots and peas are obvious options, do experiment with bell peppers, cauliflower and even broccoli.

The pulao tastes best with a little ghee added to it. You can either replace half the oil with ghee or add a spoonful of ghee to the spices while sauteing them. It will give you an even more delicious and fragrant dish. You can also add caramelized onions as a garnish to make it even tastier.

Another easy way to add a different twist to it is to add some of your favourite biriyani masalas. Replacing regular rice with basmati rice also gives a lovely taste. Serve the chana pulao with raita and salad and you have a restaurant-quality meal at home!

Try 24 Mantra Organics’s Chana dal and try yummy channa dal pulao!

References

1. https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/chana-dal-pulao-recipe-rice-recipe/
2. https://recipes.timesofindia.com/recipes/chana-dal/rs53262028.cms
3. https://www.archanaskitchen.com/chana-dal-pulao-recipe