Chana rice is a protein-packed lunchbox recipe.. Chana rice is very simple to make, yet so flavorful.. Kids will love it for sure.. Beetroot raitha is just a naturally colored yogurt/curd that will attract kids. The color of the raitha depends upon the amount of beetroot added. Plain curd or flavored curd goes well with this spiced Chana rice. This is a healthy and easy lunchbox recipe both for kids and adults.
Preparation – How to make Chana Rice and Beetroot Raitha?
Chana Rice with Beetroot raitha | Chana Biriyani | Chana Pulao
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For Chana Rice
- White Chana/Sundal - ⅓ cup
- Basmati Rice - 1 cup
- Oil - 1 tbsp
- Ghee - 1 tsp
- Bay leaf - 1
- Star anise - 1
- Small black Cardamom - 1
- Fennel seeds/Sombu - ¼ tsp
- Cumin seeds/Jeera - ¼ tsp
- Onion - 1
- Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
- Tomato - 1
- Turmeric Powder - ⅛ tsp
- Coriander powder - ½ tsp
- Chilli powder - ½ tsp or as required
- Pepper powder - ¼ tsp
- Garam Masala - ¼ tsp
- Salt - 1 tsp or as required
- Kasoori Methi - ½ tsp
For Beets Raitha
- Beetroot - ½
- Curd - 2 cups
- Salt - ¼ tsp or as required
- Coconut oil - ¼ tsp
- Mustard seeds/Kadugu - ¼ tsp
- Urad dal - ¼ tsp
- Cumin seeds/Jeera - ¼ tsp
- Asafoetida/Perungayam - Generous pinch
Instructions
Chana Rice Recipe
- Wash and soak ⅓ cup white chana for 8 hours or overnight.
- Wash soaked chana and pressure cook with 2 cups of water for 6 to 8 whistles.
- Wash 1 cup basmati rice and soak for 30 mins.
- In a biriyani pan, add ghee + oil, bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, small black cardamom, ¼ tsp each of fennel & cumin seeds.
- Once the seeds start to change color, add 1 chopped onion.
- Once onions start to brown, add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste.
- Once raw smell of ginger garlic is changed, add 1 chopped tomato and ⅛ tsp turmeric powder.
- Once tomato turns mushy, add ½ tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp chilli powder(add 1 tsp or more if u want it to be spicy) and generous pinch of pepper powder.
- Fry for a min & add ¼ tsp garam masala powder, cooked chana & salt.
- Fry for a min and add a generous pinch of crushed kasoori methi, give a quick stir.
- Add 2 cups of chana cooked stock. If it is less, add lil water to equal a total of 2 cups.
- Once it comes to boil, drain and add basmati rice and cook closed in high flame for 5 mins.
- Then simmer for 10 mins. Switch off & leave it undisturbed for 5 mins.
- Open and fluff.. Yumm 🤤 You can just serve with a simple raitha..
Beets Raitha Recipe
- Peel the skin of beetroot, cut into half, wash well and place it in a bowl and sprinkle just 1 tbsp water over it (over the beets inside the bowl) and pressure cook for 2 whistles in medium flame. Don't forget to pour half cup of water in the pressure cooker (not inside the bowl) to avoid burning in the bottom of the cooker.
- Once cooked, after natural pressure release, take out the bowl and let it cool down.
- Once cooled, cut the beetroot and grind in small mixie jar. If you want the raitha to be spicy, you can add a green chilli and grind along with beetroot.
- Then pour the tablespoon of water that we sprinkled over to cook the beets and grind again to smooth paste.
- Take 2 cups of curd in a bowl, add ¼ tsp salt and whisk to smooth consistency.
- Add pureed beetroot to whisked curd and mix well.
- In a pan, add ¼ tsp coconut oil.
- Once hot, add ¼ tsp mustard seeds. Once spluttered, add ¼ tsp each of urad dal and cumin seeds. Once dal turns golden, add curry leaves, broken & de-seeded dry red chilli(optional), ¼ tsp asafoetida.
- Give a quick stir and pour this over curd mix.
- Mix well and serve as a side for any spiced variety rice or pulao or biriyani..
Notes
For Chana Rice
1.If you want to cook rice in Pressure cooker, use only 1.5 cups of water. Pressure cook chana separately as mentioned in the recipe. In Pressure cooker, make the spice base, then add cooked chana, water and rice and pressure cook for 1 whistle in high flame, then simmer for 5 mins in low flame. Open after natural pressure release. Gently fluff and transfer to another vessel or hot pack to avoid lump formation.
2.For biriyani flavor, you can add handful of chopped mint and coriander leaves before adding tomato. Skip kasoori methi, in such case.
For Beets Raitha
1.You can replace beetroot with carrots.
2.You can skip tempering part and make it as a plain beets flavored curd.
3.You can skip green chilli, red chilli for younger kids.
1.If you want to cook rice in Pressure cooker, use only 1.5 cups of water. Pressure cook chana separately as mentioned in the recipe. In Pressure cooker, make the spice base, then add cooked chana, water and rice and pressure cook for 1 whistle in high flame, then simmer for 5 mins in low flame. Open after natural pressure release. Gently fluff and transfer to another vessel or hot pack to avoid lump formation.
2.For biriyani flavor, you can add handful of chopped mint and coriander leaves before adding tomato. Skip kasoori methi, in such case.
For Beets Raitha
1.You can replace beetroot with carrots.
2.You can skip tempering part and make it as a plain beets flavored curd.
3.You can skip green chilli, red chilli for younger kids.
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