SINDHI DEGI CHANA PULAO / FLAVOURFUL CHICKPEA PILAF

 Here is a recipe of very delicious Sindhi Degi Chana Pulao. It is cooked with aromatic spices and chana or chickpeas. You can relish it with a simple raita and papad. You don't need any side dish to serve with this pulao. It is as flavourful as any non veg biriyani. It makes a great party dish and a treat for vegetarians.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice ..... 2 cups or as needed

Boiled chana or chickpeas .... 1 & 1/4 cups

Birista (crispy fried onions)..... 1/2 cup

Tomatoes ................... 2-3

Green chillies ............ 4-5

Mint leaves ................. handful

Garlic (crushed) ........... 1 tbsp

Ginger (crushed) ........ 1 tbsp

Lemon ........................ 1 (cut into thin slices)

Dried plums (aloo Bukhara) .... 5

Yogurt ........................ 2 tbsps

Cinnamon ................. 2 sticks of 1''

Black cardamom ....... 1

Green cardamoms ..... 5

Cloves ......................... 5

Black pepper corns .....12

Bay leaves ................ 2

Crushed coriander seeds .. 1 tbsp

Crushed cumin seeds ....... 1/2 tbsp

Sindhi Biriyani masala ...... 1/2 tbsp

Kewra essence ................. 2 drops diluted in 2 tbsps of water

Ghee / clarified butter ....... 2-3 tbsps

Oil ................................... 4-5 tbsps

Salt ............................ to taste

Method:

1. Soak the rice with sufficient water for at least 30 mins or more.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices.

3. When they give out a nice aroma add the crushed coriander and cumin seeds.

4. Next add the ginger and garlic. Saute a bit and add the green chillies and tomatoes.

5. Add little salt and simmer until the tomatoes are cooked.

6. Now add the boiled chana, lemon slices,Aloo bukhara (dried plums) and cook for a minute.

7. Add 4 cups of hot water for 2 cups of rice. Bring it to a boil.

8. Now add the rice, little salt, mint leaves and 3/4 th of birista saving some for garnishing.

9. Cook on medium flame until three-fourth done.

10. Now stir in the diluted kewra essence, give a gentle stir and spoon the ghee on top.

11. Wrap the lid with a clean cloth, place it on the pan with some heavy weight on it.

12. Place it for dum on low flame for 10 minutes.

13. Pulao should be perfectly done now.

14. Serve it in a platter and garnish with some mint leaves, birista and some boiled chana.

Note: Birista is easily available these days. If you don't have it fry 2 large onions to a nice brown colour and use them instead.

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About the group:

Shhhhh Cooking Secretly is a monthly challenge in a facebook group where we are paired with a different partner every month. Two secret ingredients are  chosen by each partner for the other one and we prepare any dish with those ingredients based on the selected theme of the month which was " Exotic Biriyanis & Pulaos " suggested by Swaty Malik. She is an amazing cook. Check out her Zafrani Pulao 

This month I was paired with Priya Vijayakrishnan. She chose GREEN CHILLIES and BIRIYANI MASALA as my secret ingredients. I made this flavourful "Sindhi Degi Chana Pulao" using them.

I gave her GHEE and FRESH COCONUT as her secret ingredients and the dish she prepared is a flavourful Coconut Veg Pulao Do check it out. 

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