Chana Biryani Recipe

Chana Biryani with step by step pictures. A spicy and aromatic biryani made with white chana or chick peas that makes a sumptuous whole some lunch. It is also a healthy one pot meal that is perfect for the lazy weekend get together lunches, parties and other special occasions.

My kids love chana aka chick peas or garbanzo beans. They can eat it at any time of the day. As a result, I always have a bowl of cooked chick peas sitting in the fridge for them to eat whenever they want.

Being a vegetarian I depend on legumes such as this for my protein intake. As my kids prefer biryanis for Sunday lunch, this chana biryani is one such biryani variety that make often for them.

I have used dried chick peas which I have soaked overnight, cooked it the next day but if you can get hold of canned chickpeas, you can skip that part which will only quicken the entire cooking process.

The steps to make this chana biryani is a bit elaborate unlike the the chana pulao that I pack for the kids lunch box on week days as it needs pounding of whole spices and grinding of a green paste and extracting coconut milk etc.

Using ghee (Clarified butter) gives this chana biryani an exotic aroma along with the spices. I have used a mix of both oil and ghee to make this. But if you are worried about the calories, skip the ghee and use oil itself which will also make it a vegan meal.

How to make Chana Biryani with step by step pictures:

1. Soak chana dal in water overnight or for 6-7 hours.

2. After soaking time, discard the water, rinse well and pressure cook with ⅛ teaspoon salt in enough water for 4-5 whistles or till soft. Drain and keep aside.

3. Take coriander and mint leaves, ginger, garlic, green chilies and coconut in a mixer jar and grind to a fine paste using little water. Keep aside.

4. Using a mortar and pestle pound together cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds and cinnamon coarsely. Peel the shallots and chop the tomatoes.

5. Extract fresh coconut milk, measure and keep aside. You can also use store bought.

6. Heat a pressure cooker and add oil and ghee. Season with bay leaf, star anise and stone flower and cook for 4-5 seconds till the aroma arises.

7. Add chopped sambar onions (Shallots) and cook till it turns pink. Add chopped tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes till it turns soft.

8. Add the freshly ground mint and coriander paste and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes over low flame for the raw smell to disappear and the oil begins to separate.

9. Add drained chick peas, red chili powder, coarsely pounded spice powder and mix well.

10. Soak basmati rice for 20 mins, drain the water completely from and add it to the pressure cooker and mix well. Add coconut milk, water, salt and stir the entire contents to mix well.

11. Pressure cook for 2 whistles over high flame and switch off the stove. Wait for the pressure to release by itself and open the lid.

12. Stir gently for the rice to mix well and to prevent it from breaking off. Chana Biryani is ready to serve. Enjoy it hot with any raita of your choice.

Chana Biryani Recipe details as follows:

Chana Biryani Recipe

A healthy, wholesome and one meal of chana biryani using white chick peas.

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Prep Time : 8 hrs

Cook Time : 30 mins

Total Time : 8 hrs 30 mins

Servings : 3 to 4 servings

Course : Main

Cuisine : Indian

Author : Radhika

Ingredients

  

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• Basmati rice - 2 cups
• White chana or chick peas - 1 cup
• Sambar onions or shallots - ½ cup
• Tomato - 2 medium
• Cardamom - 2
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Cloves - 3
• Fennel seeds - ¼ tsp
• Kal paasi or black stone flower - 1 pinch
• Star Anise or Annasi poo - 1
• Bay leaf - 1
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Coconut milk - 1 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

For the paste:

• Coriander leaves - ½ cup
• Mint leaves - ½ cup
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Garlic - 5 pods
• Green chilies - 2
• Fresh grated coconut - ¼ cup

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Instructions

 

• Soak chana dal in water overnight or for 6-7 hours.
• After soaking time, discard the water, rinse well and pressure cook with ⅛ teaspoon salt in enough water for 4-5 whistles or till soft.
• Once the pressure is gone, open and tilt the entire contents into a colander and drain the water completely. Keep aside.
• Rinse basmati rice once in enough water. Discard the water and soak the rice in enough water for 20 minutes.
• Wash coriander and mint leaves well.
• Take the leaves, ginger, garlic, green chilies and coconut in a mixer jar and grind to a fine paste using little water. Keep aside.
• Using a mortar and pestle pound together cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds and cinnamon coarsely. You can also use a coffee grinder and grind to a coarse powder.
• Extract fresh coconut milk, measure and keep aside. I took a mix of the first thick milk and the thin second milk. You can also use coconut milk from a carton.
• Heat a pressure cooker and add oil and ghee.
• Add bay leaf, star anise and stone flower and cook for 4-5 seconds till the aroma arises.
• Add chopped sambar onions (Shallots) and cook till it turns pink.
• Add chopped tomato and cook for 2-3 minutes till it turns soft.
• Add the freshly ground mint and coriander paste and mix well.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes over low flame for the raw smell to disappear and the oil begins to separate.
• Add drained chick peas, red chili powder, coarsely pounded spice powder and mix well.
• Drain the water completely from the rice and add it to the pressure cooker and mix well.
• Add coconut milk, water, salt and stir the entire contents to mix well.
• Close the pan with the lid and pressure cook for 2 whistles over high flame and switch off the stove.
• Wait for the pressure to release by itself and open the lid.
• Stir gently for the rice to mix well and to prevent it from breaking off.
• Chana Biryani is ready to serve.
• Enjoy it hot with any raita of your choice.

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