From the recipe box
Chole Pulao
Rice, dal, legume, and soup formats cooked in a single vessel — the weeknight comfort lane.
- Protein
- Chickpeas
- Meal format
- One-Pot Wonder
- Base
- Rice, Millets, Grains
Onion, Tomato, Carrot, Cauliflower
From my kitchenCook this meal
Ingredients & method
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Cook
- 48 mins
- Total
- 63 mins
- Serves
- 2
Chole & Rice
- ½ cupdried chickpeas (kabuli chana/chole), soaked overnight
- ½ cupbasmati rice
- ½ cupcoconut milk
- ½ cupwater
- to tasteSalt
Optional shortcut:
- 1 cupcanned chickpeas, drained and rinsed well (skip soaking and first pressure cooking step)
Masala Base
- 1 tablespoonghee or oil
- 1 teaspooncumin (jeera) seeds
- 2–3cloves
- 1small cinnamon stick
- 1bay leaf
- 1–2green cardamom pods
- 2–3garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
- 1small onion, finely chopped
- 1medium tomato, finely chopped or pureed
Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoonturmeric powder
- ½ teaspooncoriander powder
- ½ teaspoonred chili powder
- 1 teaspoonchole masala
- ½ teaspoongaram masala
- to tasteSalt
Step by step
Method
- 01
Add the dried chickpeas (chole) to a bowl and soak them in plenty of water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain and discard the soaking water. Rinse the chickpeas well with fresh water.
- 02
Add the soaked chickpeas to the Instant Pot with fresh water and a little salt. Pressure cook on High for 5 minutesto partially cook the chole.
- 03
Allow the pressure to release naturally, then remove the partially cooked chickpeas and set aside.
- 04
Wash the basmati rice 3 times with fresh water and drain well.
- 05
Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Add ghee or oil.
- 06
Once hot, add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, and cardamom. Let the spices become fragrant.
- 07
Add the garlic and sauté briefly. Add the onions and cook until soft and lightly golden.
- 08
Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, chole masala, garam masala, and salt. Cook until the tomatoes soften and the masala comes together.
- 09
Add the partially cooked chickpeas and mix well with the masala.
- 10
Add the washed basmati rice and gently combine everything.
- 11
Add ½ cup coconut milk + ½ cup water and mix gently.
- 12
Close the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on Pressure Cook (High) for 6 minutes.
- 13
Allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure.
- 14
Fluff the chole pulao gently and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
- 15
This flavorful Chole Pulao is a comforting one-pot meal with the richness of coconut milk and warm spices. It tastes especially good with raita, pickled onions, or a simple yogurt side.
