I love to prepare one pot meal quite often. one thing i love about it is, kitchen turns less messy while i prepare one pot meal, especially this easy chana biryani. though named as biryani, not much effort goes in like in biryani. this protein packed biryani is so easy to make and makes a good choice for lunch box. my kid always love this.


Chana Biryani Recipe

Prep Time10 mins 
Cooking Time: 15 mins  
Serves2
Recipe CuisineIndian
Recipe TypeRice

Ingredients:



Chickpeas / Chana - 150 gms (soaked in water for overnight)
Rice - 250 gms / you can use basmati rice if so add rice and water in 1:1 and 1/2 ratio

Onion - 2
Tomatoes - 2
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Green chilli - 2

Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsp
Cinnamon stick - 2 " inch size
Cloves - 2
Saunf - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Star anise - 1

Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Corriander leaves - 1/4 cup chopped




Method:

Wash and soak the rice in water for about 30 minutes.

Slice the onions and tomatoes into thin slices and slit the green chilli's.

Heat a wide bottomed pressure cooker, add oil, saunf, cinnamon, star anise and bay leaf and cloves. saute them and add onions and green chili's. saute till the onions turns translucent. then add ginger garlic paste and saute it along with onions.

Then add chopped tomatoes to the onions and saute them well till they mix up with onions. add salt to taste, turmeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala and mix it well with the onions and tomatoes mix.

Now add chickpeas and rice. mix well with the onions and masala.

Add water in (rice) 1:2 (water) ratio if you are using par boiled rice. if using basmati rice,
 let the ratio be 1: 1 & 1/2. on adding water give them a good mix.

Add lemon juice and give a stir, check salt here. add chopped corriander leaves on top and close the pressure cooker with its lid.

Pressure cook the chana biryani for 2 whistles on high flame and other 2 whistles in low flame. after the whistles switch off the flame and wait till the steam subside.

Serve warm with onion raita.


Chana is favourite at home. I have tried this Pindi Chana twice before, its easy to prepare and comes out Tasty. No wonder TH likes this very much. I was wondering why Pindi is first name for this dish. on googling, i found, This Dish is also called as Rawalpindi Chana or Pindi Chole.

Addition of Anardana seeds and Tea makes this dish quite unique. Anardana seeds is nothing but dried pomegranate seeds. it adds up taste in dishes like this.

Pindi Chana


Ingredients:

Kabuli Chana - 1 cup ( Soaked overnight)
Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 2
Ginger - 1 inch size
Ginger Garlic paste - 1tsp
Green Chilli's - 2
Lemon - 1/2

Chole Masala - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Tea Bag - 1

Oil - 1 tbsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp

To Roast and Grind:

1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Anardana seeds ( dried pomegranate seeds)

Pindi Chole

Method:

Soak the Chana Overnight or if you forgot to soak, soak the Chana in warm water for atleast 2 hours in an hotbox. Then Pressure cook the chana with a pinch of cooking soda for upto 5 whistles.

Finely chop the Onion and Ginger. Slit the Green chilli's into thin strips.

Boil 2 tomatoes in a cup of water for 5 mins or Microwave at Very High for 5 minutes. cool it, remove the skin of tomatoes and grind them into Tomato Puree.

Dry Roast the Cumin and Anardana seeds and powder them finely. set aside.

Take a fistfull of chana, add little water and grind it into a paste.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds and let it roast. add Ginger, Green Chilli and Onion. saute them till onions turn golden colour. Add Ginger-Garlic paste, then add the tomato paste and saute furthur.

Add Garam Masala, Chole Masala, Corriander powder and cumin-anardana powder and mix well with the onion-tomato mix.

Add Cooked Kabuli Chana and wrap them up with the masala's. Add salt to taste. and 1/2 cup of water. add chana paste and mix well. add water if you need it little watery.

Insert a Tea bag into the pan for 2-3 minutes and discard the tea bag. Remove the chana from flame.

Garnish with chopped corriander leaves. add little lemon juice over the pindi chole while serving.

Serve this Pindi Chana with Chapathi, Roti or even with Poori's.