Chana Pulao (Indian Chickpea Rice)

Chana Pulao in Instant Pot is a brilliant one pot recipe perfect for a mid week meal. Cooked chickpeas and basmati rice are flavoured with aromatic whole spices and cooked in the pressure cooker within minutes. Included is a stove top recipe.

This Indian rice dish or pulao is made with easy to find ingredients and can be prepared in under 30 minutes. The chickpeas used are kabuli chana also known as safed chana or white chickpeas therefore this recipe is specifically kabuli chana pulao rather than kala chana pulao.

Chana Pulao is also known as chana rice, chole ka pulao, chickpea rice, or kabuli chana pulao. It is made by tempering the whole spices, sautéing onion, adding the chickpeas, rice and spices and cooking until the rice is cooked and fluffy.

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Inspiration for the recipe

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My Mum first tried this recipe around the time she moved to the UK 3 decades ago. She was friends with a Pakistani lady who made this rice dish for them both.

Since then, this pulao has been a regular on our menu!

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Ingredients for Chana Pulao in Instant Pot

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Here are the list of ingredients for this Indian Chickpea Rice.

Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post

• Basmati rice - I like to use good quality basmati rice for my rice recipes but you can use other long grain variations.

• chickpeas boiled - you will need cooked chickpeas for this recipe, whether they are tinned or cooked at home. See these other Indian chickpea recipes

• oil - you can use either olive oil or a flavourless oil that is suitable for cooking such as sunflower or vegetable

• green chillies - slit green chillies taste wonderful in this recipe

• onion - finely dice or slice a brown onion

• chopped tomatoes - you can use either fresh chopped tomato or tinned chopped tomato. If using tinned, I would use a little less as the tomatoes tend to be stronger in flavour

• salt - to taste

THE WHOLE SPICES

• cumin seeds

• whole black pepper

• cloves

• cinnamon bark

• star anise

• green whole cardamom

• black cardamom

• bay leaves

• Optional:

You could add vegetables if you like such as cubed potato, carrots, peas or green beans but authentic chana pulao will not have these.

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Pakistani Chana Pulao

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Although there is not really a difference between the Indian and Pakistani version of this recipe, to make this pulao more authentic, make chana pulao without tomato. Simply omit in this recipe, no alternatives are needed.

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Chana Pulao with Coconut Milk

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You can add coconut milk to chana pulao for a mild creamy version. This recipe tends to use kala chana instead of kabuli chana. Coconut milk is added with the water to cook the rice.

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Vegetarian Chickpea Recipes

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You maybe thinking what is the best way to eat chickpeas?

The humble chickpea is a vegetarian and vegans best friend particularly because they are so versatile.

Chickpeas can be used in savoury and sweet dishes, you can use them in making curries, salad, dip or sandwich filling too.

Here are some of my best vegetarian chickpea recipes you may want to try:

Chickpea salad with avocado dressing (Instant Pot) - one of our best salad recipe recreated hundreds time by our loyal readers.

Sun dried Tomato and Chickpea cakes is my go-to lunch recipe that is filling and incredibly tasty!

Not a fan of onion-garlic curry recipe? Have a go at making this Kabuli Chana Bateta (Aloo Chana), so easy and quick for perfect weeknight dinners!

This middle-eastern flavour inspired Turkish Tadka Hummus is amazing with rainbow garden veggies or serve with pide or spread it on your middle-eastern flatbread with falafel.

We absolutely love Chickpea Brownies and Cinnamon Apple Chickpea Cake for desserts.

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How to make Instant Pot Chana Pulao/Rice

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Full printable recipe in recipe card below.

If using dried chickpeas, first cook in the pressure cooker.

Select Sauté on the Instant Pot

Add oil and allow to heat

Add of the whole spices (not cumin)

After a few seconds, add the onions and cook until translucent.

Add in the green chillies and chopped tomatoes. I like to add green chillies into hot oil with other ingredients so that they release their oil and and flavour without causing the chilli to splutter.

Add the soaked rice and salt . I like to add seasoning and spices after the main ingredient has gone into the recipe so I can roughly judge.

Add water, stir well and deglaze the bottom of the inner pot.

Cancel sauté

Close the instant pot lid and place the vent on the Seal position

Select Pressure Cook on HIGH for 1 minute.

Natural Pressure Release for 5 minutes, open the lid.

Sprinkle cumin seeds and cover the pot with a plate or Instant Pot tempered glass lid for 5 minutes. (I used stainless steel plate)

Remove the lid and gently fluff up the rice using a fork.

Rice to water ratio in Instant Pot

For this chana rice, I have used a ratio of 1 cup of rice to 1 cup of water. This may be different depending on the rice you use.

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Stovetop Kabuli Chana Rice recipe (without a pressure cooker)

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Heat oil in a non stick pan, I prefer to use wide mouth pans.

Add sliced onions and saute for 3-4 minutes or until very light pink.

Then add slit green chillies and whole spices, cook 30 seconds. (turn down the heat, on high heat it may splutter out)

Tip in chopped tomatoes, cook the mixture on low heat until raw smell of tomatoes and moisture go away.

Add cooked chickpeas, mix well.

Now add soaked rice, mix and add water.

Season the rice with salt. (Go easy on adding salt if your chickpeas are cooked with salt.)

Turn the heat high, bring it to boil then cover the pan with the lid and turn down the heat.

Let the rice cook (check the rice, if needed add little water) and cook further for a couple of minutes.

Sprinkle cumin seeds and cover the pan with the lid again and let is sit for 5 minutes (this technique is called 'DUM THE RICE' as rice further cooks in it's own steam and develops flavours)

Fluff up the rice using a fork.

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How to serve Chana Pulao/Chana Rice

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What goes well with chana pulao? Well, pulao is best served with dollops of raita and crispy poppadoms!

It also goes great alongside a side salad like Kachumber or Indian Onion Salad.

Because of its flavour, I personally would not serve this alongside a curry as the two flavours together would be too strong, but you can serve it with yogurt soup such as Gujarati Kadhi or Mango Kadhi.

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Storage

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Fridge - once rice is totally cooled, store in an airtight container and consume within 2-3 days. Do not leave rice out for too long before placing in the fridge as rice spoils easily. Wait until the dish has cooled before refrigerating.

Freezer - this recipe stores great in the freezer and defrosts really well as the chickpeas and rice hold their shape.

Once rice cooled down totally at room temperature, put it in the suitable air tight container. This rice stays good up to 6 weeks in the freezer.

To defrost, either thaw on the worktop or defrost in the microwave. However, if you have used tinned chickpeas, do not freeze.

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As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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Note - This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in February 2012.