Chole Biryani Recipe / Spicy Chana Biryani Recipe

Chole Biryani Recipe / Spicy Chana Biryani Recipe

        A lip smacking recipe, this Chole Masala Biryani is combination of Chole Chawal put together as a biryani. Serve it along with some raita and papad and your Sunday lunch is ready.

       This Chole Biryani Recipe is a biryani with a difference. Instead of the usual combination of vegetables and meat, this one is made with protein packed chickpeas. Packed with proteins and carbohydrates and aromatics, give this recipe a try in your kitchen. 

      Serve this Chole Biryani Recipe along with Mirchi Ka Salan Recipe (Chillies in Tangy Spicy Peanut Sesame Curry), Burani Raita Recipe (Garlic Based Yogurt), Pickled Onions and Methi Pakoras Recipe for a complete weekend meal. 

Chole Biryani Recipe

Cuisine: North Indian Recipes 

Course: Main Course 

Diet: Vegetarian 

Ingredients:

For the Rice:

• 1 cup Rice, washed and soaked
• 1 Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds
• 1 clove Cloves (Laung)
• 1 inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)
• 1 Bay leaf (tej patta)
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1 1/2 cup Water
• 1 teaspoon Ghee
• Salt, Salt to taste

For the fried onions:

• 1/2 cup Onions,sliced
• 2 teaspoons Sunflower Oil

For roasted potatoes:

• 1 Potato (Aloo),cut into cubes & soaked in salt water
• 1/2 teaspoon Amchur (Dry Mango Powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• 1/2 Cumin powder (Jeera)
• To be mixed into the rice
• 1/4 cup Coriander (Dhania) Leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup Mint Leaves (Pudina)

For the Chole Masala:

• 1 cup Kabuli Chana (White Chickpeas),washed and soaked overnight.
• 6 cloves Garlic,chopped
• 1 inch Ginger,chopped
• 1 Green Chilli,finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli powder
• 1/4 cup Curd (Dahi / Yogurt) , whisked
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
• 1 Tomatoes,finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Ghee
• Salt,to taste

Method:

1. To begin making the Chole Masala Biryani Recipe, let us keep each of the elements ready.

For the fried onions:

1. In a kadai, heat oil on medium flame, add the sliced onions and fry them until they turn into a deep brown colour.
2. Caramelizing the onions takes a good 10 minutes. So ensure you do it on low heat.
3. Once the onions are caramelised, drain it on absorbent paper and set aside.

For the roasted potatoes:

1. In the same kadai add some more oil and pan roast potatoes until it gets a light brown colour. Sprinkle some salt and a pinch of turmeric powder to add taste to the roasted potatoes.
2. Drain the roasted potatoes in absorbent paper and transfer it into a bowl. Sprinkle the dry masalas- cumin powder, red chilli powder and amchur and toss.

For the Rice:

1. In a pan, heat ghee on medium flame, add cardamom, clove, bayleaf, cinnamon, and salt. Add the milk and water and bring to a rolling boil.
2. When the milk-water comes to a boil, reduce the flame add the drained rice, cover and cook until the moisture is fully absorbed.
3. Once cooked, turn off the flame and set aside.
4. Transfer the rice into a mixing bowl and allow it to cool.
5. Once the rice has completely cooled, add the coriander leaves, mint leaves, fried onions and potatoes. Give it a good mix. 

For the Chole Masala:

1. Wash and soak the Kabuli Chana overnight.
2. In a pressure cooker, add the kabuli chana, and one cup of water with salt. Pressure cook for 6 whistles, and turn down the flame and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
3. Turn off the flame and allow the pressure to release naturally. Drain the chana from its water and set aside.    
4. In a pan heat ghee, on low flame, ad ginger- garlic-green chili and saute for a couple of minutes, increase the flame to medium heat and add the tomatoes and cover and cook.
5. The tomatoes will take about 5 minutes to soften. Once they have softened, add the dry masalas- garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and chole masala. Mix well.
6. At this stage reduce the flame and add the yoghurt and the drained boiled chana.
7. At the end of this procedure, we should have a semi gravy chole masala, the consistency shall not be too thick or too thin.

To assemble Chole biryani recipe:

1. Grease a large glass bowl with ghee, sprinkle some coriander leaves, put a layer of the rice and press it down with the back of the ladle.
2. Next add a layer of the chole masala. Repeat the layers till the bowl is full. You need press down each layer.  The final layer of the biryani must be rice.
3. Once each of those layers are pressed down well, place a plate upside down over the bowl and over turn it.  You will get a chole biryani dome on your plate.
4. Serve this Chole Biryani Recipe along with Mirchi Ka Salan Recipe (Chillies in Tangy Spicy Peanut Sesame Curry), Burani Raita Recipe (Garlic Based Yogurt), Pickled Onions and Methi Pakoras Recipe for a complete weekend meal.

                                                                                                                                         EnjoyFood!