Name: Pakistani Chickpea Biryani
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients: 250ml (1 cup) rapeseed (canola) oil; 2 medium red onions, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed; 1 stick cinnamon; 4 green cardamom pods, bruised; 2 black cardamom pods, bruised or 4 more greed cardamom pods; 1 tsp black peppercorns; 5 cloves; 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste); ½ tsp ground turmeric; 3 medium tomatoes, diced; 2 – 3 green chillies, finely chopped (more or less to taste); 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 x 2.5cm (1 inch) ginger, minced; 1 tsp salt; 2 x 400g tinned (canned) chickpeas; 3 tbsp natural plain yoghurt; 4 small Pakistani lemons or two larger lemons, cut in half; 400g (2 cups) long grain Basmati rice; 750ml (3 cups) water, chicken or vegetable stock

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I think you are going to love the spicy chickpea biryani!

If you want to cook a delicious and satisfying vegetarian meal, you can't really go wrong with this Pakistani chickpea biryani.

Today I decided to make it for about the third time this year but I changed my recipe ever so slightly. No, I'm not going biryani crazy but I have been adjusting the recipe to feature in a new cookbook I'm writing.

Pakistani chickpea curry — Really good! Give this vegetarian Pakistani chickpea biryani a try!

Not just for vegetarians!

I'm trying to add more vegetarian dishes to my blog as I get asked for them a lot.

Even if you aren't vegetarian though, you should still give this a try. It's hugely popular in Pakistan and also norther India at street food stalls.

Believe me, you won't miss the meat with all those delicious chickpeas and spices.

How to get this chickpea biryani recipe right...

Many people fear cooking rice because it doesn't cook the way they want it to.

With this chickpea biryani recipe you really can't go wrong. The rice is first brought to a boil in water or stock for 7 minutes. Yes, that 7 minutes time is exact and important.

Try the rice after 7 minutes and you will see that it is almost cooked to perfection but still a little hard. Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and leave it for another 7 minutes. It is essential that no steam escapes during this steaming so cover the pan tightly first with foil if you don't have a tight fitting lid.

If you find that the rice is still not cooked to your liking, you can always add a drop more water, bring it to a boil and let it steam longer. Watch it though. You don't want to overcook it and the combined 14 minute cook always works for me.

About basmati rice

It is also important to wash the rice in at least three changes of water to wash off all the excess starch. Then allow it to soak for at least an hour before cooking or longer.

When it comes to Basmati rice, you get what you pay for. Cheaper rice may fail to impress. I use Veetee brand, (<-- Affiliate link) especially when cooking a biryani.

Step by step photos...

Ingredients for chickpea biryani — When cooking with so many ingredients, it's a good idea to get all your ingredients together before starting.

Infusing spices in oil — Infuse the whole spices in the oil for about 30 seconds.

Adding garlic, ginger, chillies and tomatoes to pan — Stir in the chopped garlic, ginger and chopped chillies, followed by the dice tomatoes.

Adding ground spices to pan — Now add the whole bullet chillies (if using) and the ground spices. Stir well to combine.

Adding onions to pan — In go all of the fried onions except for about 3 tbsp to garnish. I fry my own until dark brown but not burnt. You could purchase fried onions if more convenient.

Adding yoghurt to the pan — Now add the yoghurt one tablespoon at a time. This is your base masala.

Adding hot sauce. — Stir in the hot sauce if using.

Adding chickpeas — Pour in the chickpeas and a little water or brine from the chickpeas. About 70ml (1/4 cup) should do. Stir so that the chickpeas are coated with the sauce.

Adding rice to pan — Add the soaked rice and stir it into the chickpeas and then add the water or stock.

Boiling rice — Turn the heat up to bring the water/stock to a boil and then simmer for 7 minutes. Add the lemons.

Simmering stock/water — As the water/stock simmers, the rice will plump up and soften. Most of the water will cook away.

Covering rice to steam — After 7 minutes, your rice should look like this with a little water or stock still at the bottom. Turn off the heat and cover the pan for another 7 minutes.

Recipe for the simple raita I made...

I really just through this together but it was perfect with the chickpea biryani.

It was whisked yoghurt, one tablespoon garlic and ginger paste, 1 tbsp hot sauce and salt to taste. Then I added just a bit of lime juice, also to taste. Easy!

If you like this chickpea biryani recipe, you might like to try some of the Indian Vegetarian favourites.

Dum Aloo
Punjabi Saag Curry
Punjabi Rajma
Butternut Squash Curry
Sri Lankan Green Beans Curry
Aloo Gobi
Saag Paneer
Onion Pakora Curry
Chana Saag Curry
Potato Curry
Saag Paneer
Mushroom Curry
Masala Corn
Gobi Manchurian
Bombay Potatoes
Masala Dosa
Saag Aloo
Tandoori Hummus
Tarka Dal
Masoor Dal
Dal Makhani
Chana Dal
Homemade Poppadoms From Scratch
Green Bean Thoran
Cabbage Thoran

Have you tried this chickpea biryani recipe?

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Yield: 6