I originally posted this recipe in 2016, when the blog was still in its infancy and didn't yet have any children.
I am updating this post today in 2023 and now have two children - a 6 year old girl and a 2 year old boy - and this chana pulao is without doubt one of their favourite ways to have rice!
I love to prepare this on a day when I'm just not bothered to go all out. Those Mummy-ed out days.
It's a simple, one pot crowd pleaser that I know both the kids will wolf down without any battles - and as many mothers will know, those meals are the best meals!
My recipe requires minimal ingredients (just rice, chickpeas, onions and oil) and a small handful of aromatic whole spices which you'll probably have on hand if you cook Pakistani, Indian or Bangladeshi food often.
How to cook Chana Pulao
This recipe is just so easy and quick, you'll see why it's such a favourite!
Start by heating up some oil in a pot or pan and then add some thinly sliced onions. Fry these over a medium to high heat until they turn golden.
Add in cumin seeds, cloves, black cardamom, cinnamon, salt and green chilli. Fry this for a few more minutes, until the onions turn a darker shade of gold.
Add in chickpeas and water (quantities are listed further down in the recipe card), and once the water comes to a boil, add in some basmati rice that has already been washed and soaks for at least 30 minutes.
Allow everything to cook over a high heat, stirring gently a few times until most of the water has dried out and everything looks like this:
Once you get to this stage, get a tight fitted lid ideally lined with a clean cloth, put the lid onto the rice and turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting. Allow the rice to cook like this (dum) for 10-15 minutes.
Fluff the rice up well before serving.
Tips to make your Chana Pulao delicious!
- Basmati rice is always my choice of rice when cooking Pulao. However, if you find you struggle with mushy, raw or unevenly cooked basmati rice, you can use sella basmati rice. It's very difficult to mess up sella rice. I have a useful YouTube video here about how to perfect basmati rice.
- This recipe calls for tinned chickpeas, but chickpeas cooked from raw taste best. You can use them in this recipe - substitute the same amount of tinned chickpeas for fully cooked chickpeas.
- My favourite onions for using as the base of a Pulao are red onions. They impart a deeper, sweeter flavour than white onions. They also help with getting the colour of the Pulao darker
- Which brings me to my next point - I am frequently asked how I get my Pulao to have a better colour. It's all about the onions! The darker your onions are, the darker your Pulao will be. Think of the onion as a dye for the rice. So red onions fried very well (not burnt of course, just a beautiful dark hue) will result in beautifully coloured rice.
- I have loads of information about how to make the best Pulao, regardless of whether it's a Chana Pulao or a Chicken Pulao here.
- The original recipe I uploaded in 2016 didn't contain any green chilli, but I'm updating it in 2023 with the addition of a few whole green chillies. These do not add any spice at all, but rather impart a lovely aroma which I am a huge fan of. My children, including my very spice-averse daughter, have absolutely no issues with it. If you'd like to impart some heat into the rice, I'd recommend chopping the green chillies before adding them.
What should I serve with my Chana Pulao?
Chana Pilau to me has always been one of those rice dishes that is delicious on it's own and also goes with anything. Serve it alongside any curry, any chutney or even on it's own with a simple salad, it does so well! I think it goes particularly well with Chicken Bhuna, Aloo Tikki and Aloo Gosht, but there's not limit to what you can serve it with! Also, a good raita on the side will do wonders!
How to double or triple this recipe
If you'd like to double or triple this recipe, you can double/triple the quantities of all the ingredients without any issue - the only thing that needs to be recalculated is the water.
This is the ratio of water to rice I use for all my Pulaos: Cups of water = cups of rice +1
What this means is: if you have 4 cups of rice, use 5 cups of water. If you have 8 cups of rice, use 9 cups of water. If you have 5.5 cups of rice, use 6.5 cups of water. And so forth. Please note, all cups used in this are standard 250ml measuring cups.
Other Pilau / Pulao (pilafs) on Fatima Cooks:
A note on adding yogurt and tomatoes to Pulao
Some people like adding yogurt and tomatoes to their pulao. I actually feel really strongly about not adding both those in! I personally find I really don't like tomatoes in pulao. Yogurt seems to go fine for me, however my main qualm with these add-ons is that is bulks up the liquid that the rice needs to absorb and makes it more heavy and the rice not as fluffy.
Another issue I have but this is purely a personal issue ha! I'm huge on sticking to traditional methods and ways when it comes to Pakistani food. A traditional Pulao does not contain tomatoes and yogurt. We may develop a personal preference or liking for those add-ons and that's completely fine! But I always like my Pulaos without the bulk-up.
Simply put, there's no need to add tomatoes or yogurt!
Enjoy, with love x
📋 Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon (60 ml) oil or ghee
- 1 (110 g) medium onion sliced
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 3 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 6 whole cloves
- 2 whole black cardamoms
- 1 medium stick cinnamon
- 2-3 whole green chilies optional
- 3 cups (500 g) cooked chickpeas (drained weight)
- 2 cups (400 g) basmati rice (washed and soaked in water for at least 30 minutes)
- 3 cups/750ml water (IMPORTANT: please read notes if you are changing the serving size)
Instructions
- In a deep pot, heat the oil and add the sliced onions. Fry till the onions become golden - about 10 minutes..
- Add all the spices, salt and green chillies if using. Fry these for a few more minutes, until the onions become a dark gold.
- Add the rice, chickpeas and water, and bring to a boil. If you have adjusted the serving size, please refer to the notes for how much water you'll need to add.
- Cook the rice and chickpeas on high heat, gently stirring once or twice (but not breaking any rice!) until most of the water has dried out - about 8 minutes.
- Once the water has dried out, secure a tight fitting lid onto the pot and turn the heat down to the lowest setting, to steam for 10-15 minutes. You can wrap the lid in a clean tea towel, so it absorbs more steam, leading to fluffier and rice.
- Gently fluff up the rice using a slotted spoon or a fork immediately after steaming, even if you do not intend to serve it immediately
Notes
- If you are adjusting the serving size: the amount of water you use will be: 0.5x = 2 cups/500ml water, 1x = 3 cups/750ml, 2x = 5 cups/1.2l water, 3x = 7 cups/1.65l water.
- The green chillies in this recipe are added whole and do not infuse heat into the recipe, they are more for fragrance. If you'd like your pilau to have some heat/spice then I would recommend chopping the green chillies before adding them
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Shez
Hi,
Can I cook this in a 25 cup rice cooker? Planning to cook for a crowd in sha Allah.
Aisha Chohan
Best pallao I have ever had or made. This is everyone’s request for me to make
Fatima
Hey,
Thanks for the recipe! A quick question; if I am halving the recipe (to 1cup of rice) how much water do I add? Does the +1 rule still apply or will it end up soggy?
Many thanks!
Ana
I absolutely loved it, simple and yet so tasty. I followed the exact recipe, except for one add on, I sautéed some cashews with the spices, it was so good, thank you.
Fatima Cooks
Thrilled you enjoyed it, Ana! Adding cashews sounds like an amazing idea!
Aisha
Excellent recipe. First time I made it and people requested for me to make it every time we have potluck
Fatima Cooks
Thrilled to hear that! 😁
Violet
Hello, love your recipes! I make them a lot. My husband is from Pakistan and I love cooking the food ☺️
The recipe says 3tablespoons of salt, is that correct? My pulao turned out very salt.
Z
Hi Fatima the rice flavor & cook turned out very good but my rice kinda broke apart even though I was gentle while stirring. Any tips to avoid if I retry?
Fatima Cooks
I have a YouTube video on how to cook perfect basmati rice (if you google Fatima Cooks YouTube channel it'll come up) - definitely watch that video to see if there's something you're missing. It could be anything, from the spoon you used whilst stirring (ideally you want to use a flat, paddle-like spoon) to the quality of rice. I'm happy you enjoyed the taste, hope you can get to the bottom of the broken rice! ♥️
Nada
Salam,
Thank you for this! Do you boil the water prior to adding the soaked rice? Or do you add the water and rice together and bring it to a boil?
Fatima
Wsalam Nada, good question! I prefer to have the water at a rolling boil before adding the soaked rice. I'll update the recipe to add this in!
Fatima
اسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
What a wonderful, simple and delicious dish! I made it exactly as the recipe. Will make it regularly now. I'm from Hyderabad, India, so not very familiar with pulaos. We're Biryani people.
Bilal
Can you substitute ghee for the oil?
Fatima
Absolutely!
Cediqua
Hi, Thank you soo much for this amazing recipie. Its the first time I have made this. I have had it when others have made it but this recipie is far better than any other and its quick. I made this during Ramadan. May Allah reward you for sharing these recipies and helping others.
Fatima
Thank you so so much, Cediqua. Ameen!
yaz
Hi, in the measurements you state 'cups', do you mean the American measurements or to use a tea cup or mug?
Fatima
Hi! Generally speaking most recipes online will be referring to standard American cup sizes (250mls) because that is standardised. Hope that helps!
Cediqua
@yaz, Hi Yaz, I use the stack of measuring cups that I use for all recipies. These are standard measurements in UK. I bought mine from the £1 shop. US may have it at the dollar store. Or simply use a medium size mug instead for the rice and water. Use the same mug to measure the rice and water so the ratios remain accurate.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Set-Kitchen-Measuring-Cups-Polypropylene/dp/B07C97MPC5/ref=asc_df_B07C97MPC5/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309829058149&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12733983882701510955&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9046111&hvtargid=pla-468387013563&th=1
Hena
This was my first-ever attempt at making Pulao (My husband typically makes it great), and it turned out so beautifully!! Pike others who have commented here, this is a nostalgic comfort food for me and love that it can be so easy to make. So appreciate the step-by step guide with pictures!!
Fatima
I'm so happy, Henna! So glad you enjoyed it <3 <3
Chiara
When I was a child we had the best neighbours and the mother of the house used to make me this rice regularly. She was so kind and used to know how much I loved it. We moved away, lost touch and I have tried for years to crack it and never got the taste as I remember it. This is it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Fatima
Omg, I am so so happy to hear that!! Thank YOU for sharing this, it's made me so happy!
Safia
Hi Fatima, thank you for the lovely receipe.
Your rice is brown , but mine didn’t turn like yours , it was very light in colour. How can I make it brownish .
Fatima
Thank you so much!
If your rice is light, it could be that you aren't darkening your onions enough, or it could be that there aren't enough onions. The onions are like a dye for the rice. You can check out my 'how to make the best pilau rice' guide, that has lots of detail on it
https://fatimacooks.net/how-to-make-the-best-pulao-rice-tips-on-making-good-pilau-rice-everytime-recipe-guideline/
Syeda Fatima
Today I decided to make this with dried kabuli Chana. Still thinking how many cups I would need, because I don't have a can of chickpeas at home. I'm going to double this recipe for a picnic tomorrow
Selina
Have just discovered your website, what a gem! An easy and delicious recipe, love that you use photographs too. Thanks for sharing!
Fatima
Thank you so much, Selina!
Ann
Do you drain the chickpeas, or add the liquid to the pot too?
Fatima
Drain for sure!
Fatema Madari
Assalamu alaykum I was wondering after reading your lamb pilauf recipe if you could use the potli for this recipe.
I would have to make lamb curry alongside but for colour and flavour....
I prefer it on its own with yoghurt raita so just for extra flavour. Please advise
S.
I am a horrible cook but this dish came out perfectly, the instructions are great and it was so easy, everyone loved it! Thank you !! Please post more!
alisha
I tried this recipe this evening, was delicious! It comes out perfectly cooked and not mushy if u leave to steam for 10 mins, instead of 15 I think. I could have done with browning onions a little longer tho I think for colour.
Zenib
Thank you for such a brilliant recipe! I followed it and made the fluffiest rice 🙂
Kashmiri Cyclist
Thanks 4 that recipe.. Been looking for healthy meals to load up... simple and easy even for me.. Lower your carbon footprint friends 🚴🏽♂️🚴🏽♂️🚴🏽♂️🚴🏽♂️🚴🏽♂️🚴🏽♂️
Lubaynah
That's an awesome recipe that I will try. Can you please say if the cooking is done covered, or uncovered pot
Fatima
Hi! The initial cooking is done with the lid off, and the final steaming 'dum' time is done with the lid on
Annam
Thankyou. Easy fulfilling recepies are comfort feel good food for sure.
Patrizia
Thank you for this recipe Fatima. We made it today and really enjoyed it! It’s easy to make and so tasty. The combination of spices is great. We’ll certainly make it again.
Fatima
So glad to hear that, Patrizia!
YASUA
Amazing website and Delicious recipes
Fatima
Thank you!
Ruby
Sallaams Fatima, just made it for my son who is fasting. I never made channa pulao before. It came out so perfect it reminded me of my mother!
Thank you for such a good recipe.
Fatima
That's so great to hear Ruby! Thank you 🙂
Tabinda
Hello! Would the recipe be any different if I'm using brown rice?
Fatima
Yes, brown rice needs much longer to cook than white basmati rice and thus would need a lot more water. I can't quote exact water quantities and time because I've never tried it with brown rice, sorry!
Sarah
Loved it ❤️❤️❤️
Fatima
Salaams
This recipe is a god sent.
I’ve had the dish in at my in laws in Pakistan and tried to make it myself many time (trial and error ) no success.
Until I stumbled apon this blog site.
Now i can cook this without a second thought
جزاك الله خير
Aalia
Same situation as Hina's comment above. Tried and ended up with a mushy mess. Good recipe as its very simple but can you please be more precise with water in terms of how much should be used? I.e. Cups?
Hina
Thought I’d try this today and I ended up with a horrible mushy mess ? is there a more precise water amount you could provide for the two cups of rice?
SAIMA
This is the most easy and excellent recipe. My boys loved it and It will now be a regular item on my menu.
Nadia
Ma shaa Allah looks yummy in shaa Allah going to try this next week.. Allah bless you dear for I much appreciate your cooking recipes.. Keep it up!
Tia
I made this today was so tasty your recipes are so eany to follow and the pictures really help well done and keep it up
Fatima
That's great, Tia! Glad it went well 🙂
H.s
Old trick my mum taught me. Rice to water ratio... the water should cover your rice by 2cm