Have you tried making a pulao with Channa Dal? It is so delicious and comes together in 30 minutes. With aromatic spices like cloves, cardamom, pepper, and cinnamon, it is a treat to make and eat.
I love one-pot meals that come together quickly but I also aim to make these as nutritious as possible by adding legumes, sprouts, paneer and vegetables. With WFH seeming the norm, my lunches are so short and in between meetings. I usually prep a bit during the weekends but cook fresh most of my meals. This meal was made during one such weekday and it was so comforting and easy!
This is a one-pot meal that can be made in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. To serve this, I’d recommend a slightly spicy curry and a raitha. We had with a simple aloo capsicum curry today.
One Pot Channa Dal Pulao
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 5 pepper corns
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2-3 green chillies
- 1 tsp ginfer paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1/2 cup onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup basmati rice washed, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup soaked channa dal soaked for 2 hours and drained
- 1/2 tomato, thick slices
- 1 cup water
- cashews and corainde leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Soak channa dal for 2 hours. If short of time, soak in hot water for one hour. You should be able to slightly break it with your fingers.
- To a 2L pressure cooker, add ghee/oil, followed by cumin, cinnamon, pepper and chilli. Saute for 30 seconds and then add ginger, garlic paste.
- Cook for a minute and add onions. Add some salt followed by the soaked channa dal and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- After cooking the dal, add tomato and then the rice.
- Add hot water, mix well. Taste for salt and cook on a low to medium flame (200C on induction) for 2 whistles. Let pressure release natually.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and fried cashews
Notes
- It is important to add tomatoes ( or any tang) only after the dal is sauteed for a few minutes.
- I make this without any vegetables and serve with a vegetable side dish, however, you can add chopped carrots, peas, or beans to make it a full meal.
- This is a very mild pulao and is best served with a spicy side dish.
Want to make in Instant Pot?
Ah, yes. I cook basmati rice for pulao/biryani for 4 minutes on Manual mode and release pressure immediately if there are no vegetables used.
This recipe was made for just two adults, so I have used 1/2 cup of rice. It can easily be doubled or tripled! Just add adequate spice, taste the water to adjust salt, and use a big vessel. It is so simple and tasty!
Want more One Pot recipes?
Please leave a comment below if you made this recipe, have any questions or thoughts! Your comment will help me learn more about your preferences and will help other readers.
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