CHANA DAL PULAO

Hello everyone 

Some times we don't feel like to prepare a huge dinner/lunch spread but also don't want to serve khichadi or Dalia then this one is a perfect fuss free one pot healthy meal for everyone in your family, as kids too love this tempting combo of Chana dal and rice. To serve a full meal with goodness of protein and carbs with new variation, you can try this without much effort and full of flavours.

It is so healthy and easy recipe that anyone can try without fail, at the same time super yummy too. You should must give it a try if you too have fussy eaters like mine, believe me you will never regret.

Stepwise recipe is given below, hope you will like it and definitely give it a try.

CHANA DAL PULAO

Serves: 4-5

Time: 45 mins

Ingredients 

3/4 cup Chana dal, soaked in hot water for 1 hr

2 cup basmati or any aged rice, soaked in normal water for 1/2 -1 hr

2 medium onion,finely chopped 

2-3 green chilies, slitted

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

Salt to taste

Oil

Dry fruits of your choice ( cashews, raisins, almonds etc), I skipped as my kids don't like.

For tempering:

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

4 cloves

4 green cardamom 

1 inch piece cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp asafetida ( heeng)

Method:

First of all Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel, add dry fruits ( if using)and fry till little golden , remove on a tissue paper and keep them aside for later use.

 Now add all spices of tempering section in the same oil and saute till everything crackled and become aromatic. Be careful while sautéing so not to burn spices. Now add green chillies and chopped onions, saute till nice golden then add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins. 

Now add Chana dal , turmeric powder and some salt. Fry it for 3-4 mins and then add 1/4 cup water and cover to cook. Stir occasionally to avoid burning . When Chana dal is 70-80% cooked ( if needed you can add more water to cook dal) and all extra water from pan is evaporated ,add rice and fry for 2-3 mins .

Then add remaining water of rice and 2 1/2 - 3 cup of more water( depending on variety of rice) i.e. Double the amount of rice and dal. Add salt and Let it cook at high flame, when it starts looking little dry on top then lower the flame and cover with lid. Let it simmer for 5 mins. Then switch off the flame. 

Flip it with fork or knife to make fluffy pulao.

 Let it sit for 5- 10 mins covered, then open the lid and add fried dry fruits  to it and mix with light hand gently and serve with raita and mint chutney.

 Your easy, yummy and super healthy pulao is ready to be served with gravy dish or with simple raita and chutney. It taste best even if taken as it is, it doesn't need any thing else to go with. A simple one pot meal loved by everyone.

** I soaked rice in exact 2 cup of water to spare me with any indecision of how much water to be added for cooking rice. As we know 2:1 water rice ratio is needed to cook nice fluffy rice, but when we soak it then it already absorb some water and then our ratio gets disturb. So avoid this situation I soaked in exact amount of water and then used the same in cooking too. This will ensure you to get nicely cooked fluffy rice. 

** Make sure to cook dal first before adding rice to it. As both have different cooking time and if added together then dal may remain uncooked at the end.

*You can use any veggies also as per your choice and availability. But then taste may change.

* If you love dry fruits then must add to get much richer flavours in your pulao.

* You can also add dry spice powder while frying dal to make more spicy pulao, I skipped as wanted mild one.

** Don't skip soaking of dal and rice, as it ensure even and quick cooking . And to get nice fluffy end result must soak for mentioned time and at adequate temp.

Hope you all will like this super healthy and yummy rice dish, so please drop down your valuable comments and suggestions, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....