Chana Pulao / Chickpea Pulao (Instant Pot)

5 from 45 votes

Chana Pulao / Chickpea Pulao (Instant Pot)

Instant Pot Chickpea Pulao is a quick and flavorful one-pot dish that combines tender chickpeas with aromatic spices and fragrant basmati rice. With the convenience of the Instant Pot, this vegan and gluten-free recipe is ready in no time.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 280kcal

Author: Shilpa Kerur

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati rice
2 cans chickpeas (see notes)
1 medium potato cut into cubes
3 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 inch cinnamon
5 cloves
3 green cardamom
1 large onion thinly sliced
½ inch ginger grated
2-3 cloves garlic grated
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garam masala (use store-bought or homemade garam masala)
Salt to taste
2½ cups water
1 tablespoon coriander leaves (cilantro)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Wash the rice thoroughly. Soak it in water for 20-30 minutes.
Drain the water from the chickpea and rinse them thoroughly. Set aside.
Set the Instant Pot in saute mode (normal) and add oil.
Once it heats, add cumin seeds and whole spices (bay leaf, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves). Saute for 1 minute.
Add onions and saute until they are translucent (2-3 minutes). Add ginger and garlic.
Add turmeric powder, chili powder, and garam masala. Saute for one minute.
Drain the water from the soaked rice. Add chickpea, rice, potatoes, and salt.
Add 2½ cups of water and give it a good mix.
Close the lid and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Do a quick release of the pressure.
Open the lid and gently fluff up the rice using a fork. Add lemon juice and cilantro. Mix gently before serving.

Video

Notes

I have used 2 cans of chickpeas here (each can weighing 15 oz/425 grams). After draining the liquid, it gave me a total of 3 cups of chickpea (18 oz/500 grams).

If using dry chickpeas, soak them in water overnight. Follow this recipe until adding chickpea. Cook chickpea separately for 20 minutes, then add rice water and cook for a further 5 minutes. Use 1.5 cups of water to cook 1 cup of dried chickpeas.

Use Basmati rice or any variety of long-grain rice to make this chickpea pilaf. Also, it is important to soak the rice for 20-30 minutes.

The rice-to-water ratio I am using here is 1 to 1¼. This gives me perfectly cooked slightly chewy rice. You can reduce the water by ¼ cup for a firmer texture or increase the water by ¼ cup for soft cooked rice.

Nutrition