Weeknight rice · Vegetarian

Chana Pulao Recipe (Pakistani Chickpea Rice)

Brown onions. Whole spices. Separate grains.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Chana pulao is a light, fragrant rice cooked with chickpeas, whole spices and browned onions. It fails when the rice turns mushy or tastes plain. The fix is soaking basmati, using an exact water ratio, and browning the onions well for colour and flavour.

Prep15m
Cook35m
Servings4
kcal / serving410
LevelEasy
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of chana pulao

Why this recipe works

Soak rice

Dry rice

Soaked basmati cooks long and separate.

Brown onions

Pale rice

Onions give colour and depth.

Exact water

Guessing

1.5 cups water per cup of rice.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Rice and chana

Flavour

The NineFoods pulao gauge

Is the water ready for dum?

After boiling uncovered, look at the surface. Tap the match.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 4 stages

Step by step

1

Brown onions

Medium · 8 min
  1. Fry onion in oil until golden brown.
  2. Add whole spices and cumin.
Look for: golden onions and fragrant spices.
08:00
2

Yakhni

Medium · 5 min
  1. Add ginger garlic paste, chickpeas, chillies and salt.
  2. Pour in water and bring to a boil.
Look for: a well salted boiling stock.
05:00
3

Cook the rice

High · 7 min
  1. Add drained rice and boil uncovered.
  2. Use the gauge above.
Look for: steam holes on the surface.
07:00
4

Dum

Lowest, covered · 15 min
  1. Cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat.
  2. Rest 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.
Look for: long, separate grains.
15:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Too much water or stirring.

Fix next time

Use 1.5 cups water per cup of rice and do not stir.

Why

Too little water or lid not tight.

Fix next time

Sprinkle water, seal the lid and dum 10 minutes.

Why

Onions not browned.

Fix next time

Brown onions deeply and season the water well.

Why

Heat too high on dum.

Fix next time

Use a flat tawa under the pot.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
Boiled chickpeasProteinCanned chickpeas, rinsed
BasmatiLong grainsSella basmati, add 0.25 cup more water
OilFlavour carrierGhee
WaterCooking liquidVegetable stock

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Raita, kachumber salad or a simple shami kebab.

Store

Fridge 3 days.

Reheat

Sprinkle water, cover and microwave or steam until hot.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 4 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is the water ready for dum) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

All Pakistani recipesHow to Cook Perfect Basmati RiceHow to Fry OnionsHow to Make Ginger Garlic Paste

Quick answers

Chana Pulao FAQ

What is the water ratio for pulao?

About 1.5 cups water for each cup of soaked basmati rice.

Can I use canned chickpeas?

Yes, rinse them well first.

Why is my pulao sticky?

Too much water or stirring after adding the rice.

Is chana pulao vegetarian?

Yes, when made with water or vegetable stock.