Hara Channa Pulao

My family’s favorite Pulao ~ Hara Channa (Green Chickpeas) Pulao

Fresh Hara Channa (Green Chickpeas) in it’s pod

Pulav or Pulao or Pilaf is usually a medley of vegetables or just a few, cooked with rice and spices. The variety is just innumerable. Today, I will share with you one recipe that will blow your mind off; Okay, not literally, but you get the point that how tasty it will be. The pulav is made of hara channa. Yes, it’s Hara Channa. Not many people make pulav with this wonderful, protein packed legume, but once you make it, you will be so glad you did.

Hara Channa is seasonal but frozen ones are available all year around. I went for grocery shopping this week and found hara channa so fresh that right then I decided to make it for the next day and bought it. It comes in a pod very similar to peas. Agreed, it is a bit tedious work to remove the legume from it’s pod but trust me, it’s all worth the effort.

Recipe: (Makes for 6 people)
2 cups Basmati rice soaked for atleast 30 mins
1 - 2 cups hara channa
1 small onion chopped
A few cloves, whole peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp oil
1 -2 green chili slit
2 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
1 -2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp dhania or coriander powder
A few golden raisins (kishmish)
2 elaichi or cardamom slit open and preferably powdered
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and add jeera. Then add the cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns and let the aroma infuse in the oil, then add the onions and saute well. Add the hara channa and saute for a few more minutes. Add the red chili powder & dhania powder. Now add the rice without the water and mix well so that the oil coats each grain. Then add twice the amount of water, salt and kishmish and bring it to a boil. Cover it with a lid and lower the flame to low and let it cook for another 10 -15 minutes. Mix gently in between so that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the vessel. When the rice is almost done, turn off the heat but keep the lid covered so that the further cooking can happen from the remaining hot steam from the rice itself. Squeeze some lime juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with raita and you will be very happy to learn this delicious recipe.

A spoonful of Hara Channa Pulao

Tip: If you do not find fresh or frozen hara channa, use dried or canned chickpeas(garbanzo beans) instead. Of course, you need to soak the dried chickpeas overnight, cook it and then use in this dish while cooking rice.