Chana Masala Pulao

This tangy, spicy Chana Masala Pulao is delicious – Why eat chana masala and plain recipe separately, when you can combine them and make a comforting, plant-based, gluten free delicious meal. For a more kid-friendly recipe, you can reduce the amount of spice, as recommended in the recipe.

This recipe comes to us from My Vegetarian Roots.

Want more meatless recipes like this? Subscribe to our newsletter for a weekly selection of plant-based recipes delivered right to your inbox!

For more recipes with chickpeas, click here.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves 5

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp. peanut oil
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onions
• 2 cups 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 cooked rice (leftover steamed rice is preferred)
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wide shallow pan.

2. Add whole spices, bay leaf and dry whole red chili peppers to the oil. Sauté for a minute or until it becomes fragrant.

3. Add cumin seeds and sauté until they start to turn a deeper brown.

4. Add chopped onions, garlic and ginger along with a pinch of salt. Sauté until the onions are completely translucent.

5. Add tomato sauce and mix well. Add the rest of the spices, mix well and cook until it starts to simmer. Stir frequently.

6. Drain and rise canned chickpeas and add to the sauce.

7. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.

8. Add steamed rice and mix gently, making sure the rice does not break or gets mushy. Leftover rice works the best for this recipe, especially al dente, not mushy rice. Taste it and add more salt/spices as needed.

9 Cover and cook for a minute or two.

10. Garnish it with cilantro and serve hot!