Channa Briyani

Category:  Lunch / Rice
Preparation Time: 15 mins  + soaking time
Cooking Time: 30 -40 mins
Servings: 4-5 Servings

Channa Briyani

 Ingredients:

For Cooking Channa:

• Chickpeas / Channa - 1 cup
• Salt - as required
• Cinnamon - a small piece
• Cloves - 2 nos
• Cardamon - 1 no

To Grind:

• Garlic - 6-7 cloves
• Ginger - 1 1/2 inch piece
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
• Cloves - 3 nos
• Cardamon seeds - few seeds / 1 cardamon pod
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tbsp
• Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red / Green chillies - 1-3 nos

Other Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice - 1 1/2 cup
• Onion, thinly sliced - 1 no
• Tomato, roughly chopped - 2 nos 
• Channa Masala Powder (Home made) - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Mint leaves, chopped - handful
• Coriander leaves, chopped - handful
• Thick Curd- 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1/2 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp 
• Bay leaf - 1 no
• Star anise - 1 no
• Mace - 1 strand
• Water - around 3 cups

Method:

1. Wash & Soak rice in enough water for atleast 30 mins
2. Soak Channa for overnight and pressure cook it with required salt, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamon for around 3-4 whistles until it gets cooked soft but not mushy. Drain the water and keep aside
3. Gather all the ingredients mentioned under "To Grind" and grind to a fine paste by adding enough water and keep it ready
   
4. Heat Oil+Ghee in a pan or pressure cooker, once it becomes hot add Bay leaf, Star anise and mace and saute for 30 secs
5. Add thinly sliced onions with a pinch of salt and saute well for few mins till they turn golden brown
   
6. Now add the ground paste and saute for 2-3 mins till the raw smell goes off
   
7. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till it becomes mushy
   
8. Add in the chopped coriander and mint leaves and give a quick mix
   
9. Add turmeric powder and Channa Masala powder, mix well
   
10. Now reduce the flame to low and add the curd, saute for a min
    
11. Add the cooked channa and saute for 2 mins
    
12. If cooking in the same pan / cooker, add required water and add the soaked & drained rice. If cooking in electric rice cooker, we can transfer the masala to it and add the water and rice
    
13. Mix well and check for salt
    
14. Cook till the rice is done and keep it in warm for 5 mins before opening
15. Fluff it up and serve hot with any Raita or curd!