Why eat chana masala and plain rice separately when you can combine those two to make the most comforting meal ever? This tangy and spicy vegan chana masala pulao will be perfect for a comforting and flavorful weekend dinner!
Servings: 5 servings
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onions
- 2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 whole dry red chilis
- 3 cloves
- 3 whole peppercorn
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp chana masala - 1½ tsp if making it kid-friendly
- 1 tbsp garam masala - 1 tsp if making it kid-friendly
- 1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder - dhana jiru powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder - skip this if making it kid-friendly
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp mango powder - aamchur powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 cups leftover cooked rice - steamed rice is preferred
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in a wide shallow pan.
- Add whole spices, bay leaf, and dry whole red chili peppers to the oil. Saute for a minute or until it starts to form an aroma.
- Add cumin seeds and saute until they start to turn color to a deeper brown.
- Add chopped onions, garlic, and ginger along with a pinch of salt. Saute till the onions are completely translucent.
- Add tomato sauce, mix well. Add other spices listed above, mix well and cook till it starts to simmer. Stir frequently.
- Rinse canned chickpeas, add them to the sauce without any liquid.
- Mix well and cook it for a couple of minutes.
- Add steamed rice, mix well gently, making sure the rice does not break or get mushy. Leftover rice works the best for this recipe, especially al dente, not mushy rice. Taste it and add more salt/spices if needed.
- Cover it and cook for a minute or two.
- Garnish it with cilantro and serve it hot!
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