Biryani is the all-time favorite dish for both my hubby and son. As it’s Thursday (devotional day for me), I never cook or eat non-veg on this day. Mostly these Thursday will have something related with Channa may be a sundal or a gravy based thing and this time totally a different thing – it’s Biryani.

Channa is known as chickpeas, chole, kondakadalai… Channa is highly rich in protein and goes out well with aromatic spices as Biryani. Let me share the recipe…

For more veg and non-veg biryani recipes, click here.

Taking it to Fiesta Friday#120 hosted by Angie@thenovicegarderner, partying partying let’s party…

Channa / Chole Biryani served with raita, pappad, mango pickle and apple cinnamon preserve

Ingredients:

• Channa / Chickpeas – ¾ cup
• Long grain / Basmathi  rice – 2 cups
• Onions – 1 ½  no
• Tomato – 1 no
• Green chilles – 1 no
• Ginger – 1”inch stick (2 pieces)
• Garlic – 8 cloves
• Star Anise – 2 nos
• Bay leaf – 2 nos
• Cinnamon – 2 inch stick (2 pieces)
• Cloves – 4 nos
• Cardamom – 2 nos
• Coriander leaves – 3 stalks
• Mint leaves – 4 stalks
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Chilli powder – 1 ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – 2 ½ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Ghee / Clarified butter – 1 ½ tbsp
• Oil – 1 ½ tbsp.

Spices, onion and tomato getting cooked

With green paste (green chillies, ginger, garlic, coriander and mint leaves)

With the spice powders

With channa

With rice and salt

Getting boiled

Channa / Chole Biryani

Channa / Chole Biryani served with raita, pappad, mango pickle and apple cinnamon preserve

Preparation:

• Soak channa overnight or for 12 hrs. Drain the water and pressure cook them with 3 cups of water for 5 whistles. Remove the lid when the pressure subsides, drain the water, keep the channa and reserve the drained water.
• Peel and finely chop the onions and tomatoes.
• Clean and wash the rice in water, drain the water and keep it aside.
• Take coriander leaves, mint leaves, ginger, garlic and green chillies in a blender. Blend them to a fine paste by adding little water and keep it aside.
• Heat oil and ghee/clarified butter in a pressure cooker, add in the star anise, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and cardamom, wait until aroma comes out.
• Add in the onions and cook until they turn golden brown.
• Add in the tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy.
• Pour in the grounded green paste and cook until the oil the separates or until it turns dark green.
• Add in the spice powders (turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder) and cook until the raw smell goes off.
• Add in the boiled channa and rice along with salt, cook for few seconds.
• Take the reserved water (leftover water while boiling channa), pour 2 cups and 2 cups of water, and wait until it boils.
• Pressure-cook for 2 whistles, remove the lid when the pressure subsides.
• Give a stir, transfer it to a bowl and serve hot.

Serve hot. Goes out well for lunch with any raita. I have served it with onion raita, pappad, mango pickle and apple cinnamon preserve.