Kala Channa Pulao | One Pot 30 minutes recipe

Name: One Pot Kala Channa Pulao
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: ½ cup soaked and cooked black chickpeas ((read notes)); ½ cup basmati rice; few mint leaves, chopped; 2 tsp ghee or oil; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp ginger and garlic paste; ½ cup sliced onions; ½ cup chopped tomatoes; 2 tbsp curd; ½ tsp hing; ½ tsp turmeric; ½ tsp garam masala; 1 tsp chilli powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; few roasted cashews; corainder leaves

November 9, 2021 (Last Updated: February 2, 2022)

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Kala Channa/Black Chickpeas Pulao is a one-pot nutritious meal that you can make in 30 minutes. It is delicious, full of flavour, and a mix between a biryani and a pulao. Serve it with some raitha for a complete meal!

We try to add legumes and sprouts in our diet and make salads, curries, and even vadais out of it often! ONE of my favourites is black channa, I love it more than its more known white counterpart kabuli channa. This has a bite even when fully cooked and is more ‘earthy’ in flavour. My all-time favourite way to eat kala channa is in a kadala curry!

I am not sure and not a biriyani – but somewhere calling a dish as black channa biryani seems odd! That said, make no mistake for this is a FANTASTIC meal to have. Just like my Matar Paneer Biryani, I make this in a pressure cooker and follow a similar method.

There is JUST one extra step that takes 5 minutes – you have to soak black channa overnight.

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One Pot Kala Channa Pulao

This is a highly nutritious one pot meal with rice, black chickpeas, minimal spices that tastes delicious!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Gluten Free, Vegan, Indian

Keyword 30 minute meals, easy meals, high protein, one pot recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Chickpeas soaking time 6

Total Time 30

Servings 3

Ingredients

½ cup soaked and cooked black chickpeas (read notes)
½ cup basmati rice
few mint leaves, chopped
2 tsp ghee or oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger and garlic paste
½ cup sliced onions
½ cup chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp curd

Spice powders

½ tsp hing
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder

Garnish

few roasted cashews
corainder leaves

Instructions

Rinse and soak black chickpeas for 6 hours. Pressure cook for 4 whistles OR cook in Manual mode in IP for 7 minutes, adding a little salt. It should still have a bite. Save the cooking water for making the pulao.
In a 2L pressure cooker, add oil/ghee, cumin, onions, chilli, ginger garlic paste and saute until onions turn golden brown.
Now, add the tomatoes and curd and mix in a low flame so the curd does not curdle.
Add the spice powders next, followed by the chickpeas, mint leaves, rice and water.
Check for salt, let it come to a boil and cook for ONE whistle on high heat. Reduce heat ( to 400W if induction, or lowest on flame) immediately and cook for 6 minutes.
Let pressure settle, open and garnish. I had it with some raitha, salad and a boiled egg.

Notes

Instead of soaked and cooked chickpeas, canned beans can be used.
An alternate method to avoid cooking chickpeas separately
- Soak chickpeas for 8 hours and drain. In the above recipe, add onions, ginger-garlic paste, chilies, tomato, spice powders, curd, and chickpeas. Now, add minimal water ( same amount as chickpeas) and cook for 4 whistles on medium heat.
- Release pressure, add soaked rice and water for it ( about 1/2 the quantity of rice) and cook again for 1 whistle. Open after pressure releases!
- This is a little tricky, but if you know your cooker – this method works beautifully

Making it vegan?

This recipe is mostly vegan! Substitute the yogurt for water in the cooking process and add 1 tsp lemon juice in the end for the tang.

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!