Channa /Garbanzo Beans/ Chickpeas Pulao

I wanted to send another recipe to Akheela's Festive Rice Event. Thinking about it I happened to see Nitu's event about chickpeas. Thought why not cook somthing that can be sent to both the events. Thats how I tried this channa pulao. It came out very well. I had this recipe bookmarked from my mom's recipe book. She had a collection of recipes from Mallika Badrinath a famous culinary expert in India. I remembered this recipe and the event and thought will try this one. I made some alterations to the recipe substituting certain items in the recipe. Its fun to participate in such events. Time flies in just making note of events and dates, after that comes sending in posts for those events. Phew!!!!!! I am trying my best not to forget events and dates. Anyway.. let me start my recipe and finish it or else I will forget about the other events. Lots to catch up!!

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Chickpeas - 1 cup (Cooked)
Pearl onions - 10 (I used combo of pearl and ordinary onion -1/4 cup chopped)
Tomato Ketchup - 1/4 cup
Coconut milk - 1and 3/4 cup
Kasoori methi  or Fresh methi- 1 tbsps
Green Chilli - 1
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsps
Cardomom - 3
Cloves - 4
Bay leaf -1
Garam Masala - 1 tbsps
Cilantro - to garnish

To Grind

Coconut - 2 tbsp grated
Pearl onions - 10
Cumin Seeds - 2 tsps
Red Chilli - 1

Serves:2

Preparation:


Soak Basmati rice in water for 10 mins. Drain water and fry it in 2 tbsps ghee untill moist is absorbed. Keep it aside.

Grind coconut, onions, cumin seeds and chilli into a nice paste.

In a pan, heat oil add cardomom, bay leaf, cloves. Fry until cloves turn brown and then take them out. Its just for the aroma. Now add onions and fry for about 3 mins.

Add the ground paste and fry till the raw smell fades. You will get nice aroma when it gets cooked.

Now add tomato ketchup mixed with 1/4 cup water, and fry for another min and add kasoori methi or fresh methi, salt, garam masala and fry for about 5 mins till it cooks well.

Now add chickpeas and rice and mix well .

Transfer it in rice cooker, add 1and 3/4 coconut milk, turn it on and relax...

Once cooked garnish with cilantro, fresh cooked garbanzo beans and serve hot with raitha.

Sending this to Akeela's Festive Rice event, Nitu's CWF: LB - Chickpea and to Susan's My Legume Love affair 27
Other recipe sent to Akheela's event Pal Payasam - Kheer