Chana Pulao

This is a recipe which I tried on my own as I wanted to try a quick fix lunch and it turned out so tasty and flavourful. Its very easy to make and healthy also. I tried this with black chana however, you can make it with white too.

Ingredients:

1. Chana - 1/2 cup
2. Basmati Rice - 1 cup
3. Capsicum - 1 small, cubed (optional)
4. Big Onion - 1 sliced lengthwise
5. Chilli powder-1/2tsp
6. Sambhar powder - 1tbsp
7. Pepper powder - 1/2tsp
8. Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2tsp
9. Tomato Sauce -1/2tsp
10. Salt - as needed
11. Coriander leaves - to garnish

To temper:

1. Ghee - 1/4 tsp
2. Oil (I used refined oil) - 2tbsp
3. Bay leaf - 1
4. Cinnamon - 1 small piece
5. Cloves -2
6. Fennel -1/4tsp

Method:

1. Soak chana overnight or for 6 to 7 hours and pressure cook with enough water for 5 whistles or till the chana turns soft.

2. Cook basmati rice separately with salt in a deep bottomed vessel and set aside . See to that the grains are separated.

3. In a wide vessel (I used my big pressure cooker) add in the ghee and oil and temper with the items under 'To Temper' column.
4. Add in the onions and saute till translucent. Add in the ginger garlic paste and saute for a while.(I didnt have ginger garlic paste in hand so crushed them using mortar and pestle).
5. Add in the chana and capsicum and saute till the capsicum gets cooked. Add in the masala powders,tomato sauce and required salt and mix well.

6. Mix the cooked rice along with this and see to that the mixing is uniform. Switch off and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with papad/raita/or cuury of your choice. We had it with potato podimas, papad and amla lemon juice.