Achari Channa Pulao

Achar in Hindi means pickle, achari = pickle-y
Channa - chickpeas
Pulao- pilaf

My dad and dad-in-law are friends with me on Instagram.(Why guys, whyyy?)
So they basically know what I eat for breakfast/lunch/midnight snack, what I drink, what I shop... *rolls eyes*

My mom was saying that my dad keeps drooling over my food pictures. He even asked her why she never cooks all those dishes. LOL

My mom always cooks full course meals which are pretty labor intensive!

And, all the dishes I cook are super-easy and quick to make.

Also, I tend to have meal-time déjà vu problems, I can't eat the same thing 2 or 3 times a month. I know its too much! I'm easily bored to eat the same dish again.. which is good b'cos it  motivates me to cook/experiment new dishes. I'm really lucky that my husband falls in the same category too, he is always ready to cook/eat new dishes.

So few days back, while watching TV in the evening I dozed off and by the time I woke up, dinner was ready!! Not just any other dish, it was my favorite achari channa pulao. 

As much as we love Veg Pulao, Veg Biriyani and other one pot meals, there's something about Achari Chana Pulao which makes it extra special.. guess its the homemade mango pickle+chickpeas+basmati rice combo.. It's a very flavorful  one-pot meal which can be served for lunch/dinner. It can be paired with something which is subtle in flavor like raitha or papad. I made it recently when our friends visited us, they loved  it and asked me to pass on the recipe. Hence this post :)

INGREDIENT

• 2 cups long grained/Basmati rice
• 3 tbsp mango pickle
• 3/4th cup white chickpeas/kabuli channa (soaked & boiled)
• 3 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• salt to taste

METHOD

1. Wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside
2. Add the pickle in the blender and blend it to smooth paste. keep aside
3. Boil 4 cups of water in a pan.
4. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom and asafoetida
5. When the seeds splutter, add the onions and sauté until they turn pink. Add ginger-garlic paste, sauté until the raw smell goes.
6. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, pickle paste and salt.
7. Add chickpeas and mix well. Add rice and sauté  gently.
8. Pour hot water into this and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Wait for the steam to release before you open the lid.
9. If using electric cooker, then cook everything in a pan and transfer to rice cooker and let it cook until the trigger goes off.
10. Gently fluff it with the fork to mix it. 
11. Serve hot with raitha or papad.

Linking this post to:
Hearth n Soul Blog Hop