Quinoa Chickpea Pulav is a hearty and nutritious dish that combines the goodness of quinoa, protein-rich chickpeas, and aromatic spices. It’s a flavorful one-pot meal perfect for lunch or dinner. To start, soak half a cup of dry chickpeas in water overnight or for at least 6-8 hours. This softens them and reduces cooking time. Once soaked, drain and rinse the chickpeas before using. In a deep skillet or pan, heat a teaspoon of ghee over medium heat. Ghee adds a rich flavor to the dish. Add a mix of whole spices like cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, and a bay leaf. These spices infuse the dish with aromatic flavors.
Next, add chopped onions and a slit green chili to the skillet and sauté until the onions turn translucent. Stir in ginger and garlic paste, followed by chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften. Add the blend of dry spices like cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, and black pepper powder. These spices add depth and warmth to the dish. Further Add the cooked chickpeas to the skillet along with rinsed quinoa to the skillet and sauté for a couple of minutes. This helps to toast the quinoa and enhances its nutty flavor.
Pour water into the skillet, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the quinoa is cooked and the water is absorbed. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Once done, turn off the heat and stir in chopped coriander leaves and a splash of lemon juice for freshness. For the raita, simply whisk yogurt until smooth and add chat masala and salt to taste. Optionally, you can mix in grated carrot, chopped cucumber, and onion for added crunch and freshness. Serve the Quinoa Chickpea Pulav hot with the refreshing raita on the side. Enjoy this wholesome and flavorful meal packed with protein and essential nutrients!
Quinoa Chickpeas Pulav
Ingredients
For the Chickpeas:
- 1/2 cup dry chickpeas
- Water for soaking
Other Ingredients:
- 1 tsp ghee
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2-3 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 green chili slit
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 small tomato chopped
- 1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed and drained
- Handful of chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Dry Spices:
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder adjust to taste
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
For Raita:
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1/4 tsp chat masala
- Salt to taste
- Grated carrot optional
- Chopped cucumber optional
- Chopped onion optional
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas in water overnight or for at least 6-8 hours. Drain and rinse them before using.
- In a pressure cooker or a pot, add the soaked chickpeas with enough water to cover them. Pressure cook until chickpeas are tender. Drain and set aside.
- In a deep skillet or pan, heat ghee over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, star anise, and bay leaf. Sauté for a minute until fragrant.
- Add chopped onions and slit green chili. Sauté until onions turn translucent.
- Stir in ginger paste and garlic paste. Cook for another minute until the raw smell disappears.
- Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they soften.
- Add dry spices – cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, salt, garam masala, turmeric powder, and black pepper powder. Mix well.
- Add cooked chickpeas, rinsed quinoa to the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour 2 cups of water into the skillet. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked and the water is absorbed. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Once done, turn off the heat. Stir in chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice. Adjust salt and spices according to taste.
- For the raita, whisk yogurt in a bowl until smooth. Add chat masala and salt to taste. You can also mix in grated carrot, chopped cucumber, and onion if desired. Serve the quinoa chickpea pulav hot with raita on the side.
