Chana Dal Pulao

Ingredients

• 1 kg Basmati Rice
• 2 tbsp Salt
• 2-3 Green Cardamoms
• 1 stick Cinnamon
• 2 tbsp Chopped coriander and mint leaves
• 2-3 Whole green chillies
• 200 gm Soaked and boiled Bengal gram or chana dal
• 2-3 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp Ghee or Clarified Butter
• 1 tsp Ginger Garlic green chilli paste
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 1 Star anise
• 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
• 3-4 Cloves
• 1-2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Nos mace
• 2-3 Whole or slit green chillies
• 2 large sliced onions
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander powder
• 1 tsp Cumin powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 2 sliced tomatoes
• 500 gm beaten curd
• 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
• 1 tbsp Ghee or Clarified Butter
• 7-8 strands Saffron
• 2-3 tbsp fried onions

Steps

1. Soak Bengal gram or chana dal for a good 4-5 hours. Boil with a little salt for about 10-12 minutes until soft yet firm and not mushy. Set it aside.
2. Heat oil and ghee both together in a wide vessel. Stir in cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, star anise, mace, black peppercorns and cloves. Fry them all for a few seconds before adding the sliced onions.
3. Saute the onions until translucent and done. Also add in the powdered spices and tomato slices. Saute them all on a low to medium high heat. After sautéing for about 5-6 minutes, add in the beaten curd. Also add whole or slit green chillies, half of the chopped coriander and mint leaves. Reserve the half for final garnish. Add boiled chana dal to it. Cover and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes on a low heat.
4. Meanwhile bring water to a rolling boil on a high heat simultaneously for cooking rice. Add green chillies, coriander and mint leaves, one cinnamon stick and 2-3 green cardamoms. Add well soaked and drained basmati rice to it.
5. Cook until 80% done. Drain and set aside. Now add the rice to the pot. Top it up with a final garnish of ghee, fried onions, saffron strands and reserved chopped coriander and mint greens.
6. Cover and cook on a low heat for the next 15-18 minutes. Do not open the lid immediately. After the stipulated time, do not rush to open it. Only after 5 minutes of standing time, open the lid and it's all ready.
7. Fluff it up. Serve it piping hot alongside raita of your choice. Enjoy!