Navratri is the time to enjoy vegetarian khanna and Taruna Deepak has a special recipe for chickpea fans.

Her Kabuli Chana Pulau is satiating, wholesome and doesn't require you to spend too much time in the kitchen.

You can add veggies of your choice for a well-rounded dish.

It's great to pack for lunch and goes well with Boondi Raita and Kachumber.

Kabuli Chana Pulau

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

For the chickpeas

• ½ cup kabuli chana or chickpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 small piece badi elaichi or black cardamom
• 1 small tej patta or bay leaf
• Salt to taste, around ½ tsp
• 1½ cups of water
• 1 pinch hing or asafoetida

For the pulau

• ½ cup uncooked basmati rice
• 1 tej patta or bay leaf
• ½-inch piece dalcheeni or cinnamon stick
• 3 lavang or cloves
• ½ chakra phool or star anise
• ¼ tsp shah jeera or black cumin
• 1 small badi elaichi or black cardamom
• 3-4 green elaichi or cardamom
• 6-8 sabut kali mirch or black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3-4 garlic pods
• ½-inch piece fresh ginger
• 3 green chillies
• 1 ripe tomato, finely chopped
• ¾ tsp dhania or coriander powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ¼ tsp red chilly powder
• 2 tsp dahi or yoghurt, preferably the thicker, store-bought yoghurt
• 3 tbsp chopped pudina or mint leaves
• 3 tbsp chopped green dhania or coriander or cilantro
• ½ tsp kasoori methi or dry fenugreek leaves
• ½ tsp salt

To serve

• Kachumber
• Boondi Raita
• Green chutney
• Pickle
• A few arils or seed pods pomegranate

Method

• Wash the basmati rice well until the water runs clear.
  Soak the rice for 30 minutes.
  Keep aside.
• Using a mortar and pestle, grind together the garlic, ginger and the green chillies to a coarse paste.
  Keep aside.
• Drain the excess water and transfer the soaked chickpeas into a pressure cooker.
  Add the water, salt, bay leaf, black cardamom, asafoetida.
  Pressure cook over high heat for 6 whistles.
  Take the cooker off the heat and allow the pressure to release on its own.
  Keep aside.
• Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan (with a lid).
  Reduce the heat and add the whole spices.
  Be careful: The cloves and the black peppercorns have the tendency to burst in hot oil.
  Once the spices become aromatic, add the sliced onions.
  Turn the heat up and fry, stirring often, till the onions turn golden.
  Add 2 tbsp water.
  Add the ginger-garlic-green chilly paste.
  Fry, stirring continuously, till the paste is no longer raw.
  Add the chopped tomato and cook till soft, stirring frequently.
  Add the coriander powder, garam masala, red chilly powder, salt and stir well.
  Take off heat and after a minute, add the yoghurt, the chopped mint leaves and the fresh coriander.
  Stir.
• Strain the chickpeas by passing them through a sieve and reserve the water.
  Heat the saucepan with the onions, tomato, spices again and add the drained chickpeas along with the kasoori methi and stir well.
• Add the drained rice and stir, very gently, so as not to break the grains.
  Add the reserved chickpea water.
  Give a very gentle stir (just once) and bring the contents to boil over medium heat.
  Cover the saucepan.
  Reduce the heat to low and cook the pulau for 15 minutes.
  Take off heat.
  Let it sit for at least 15-20 minutes before taking off the lid.
  Gently fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot with the accompaniments of your choice like kachumber, boondi raita, green chutney, pomegranate seed pods or pickle.

Editor's Note: For a Jain version of this pulau, skip the onions. And use 1 tsp saunth or dried ginger powder instead of fresh ginger.

Taruna Deepak lives in Mumbai and is the creator of the food blog Easyfoodsmith.

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