Fresh chick peas are green in colour and known as Cholia / Hara Chana. They are fresh young Garbanzo beans which are usually sold as a small bundle of plants with roots intact. These are found only in winter months here in Bangalore. People usually enjoy eating this as a fresh bean by shelling its outer green pod. Chickpeas are high in dietary fibre, mineral, vitamins, proteins.
These pods are tiny compared to green peas pods. Usually one pod will contain only one garbanzo bean, rarely we find two beans as well. Not more than that.
One pot meal is a super cool idea to consume these fresh beans, which I have paired with a cucumber chutney, which I will post next.
Here we will see how I made this Pulav –
Ingredients:
Small grain rice – 3 cups (we call this as Jeera samba rice)
Onions – 2
Green chillies – 3 to 4
Ginger garlic paste – 1 table spoon
Fresh chick peas /green Chana – 1 small cup
French beans – 8 to 10 (chopped)
Pudina leaves – 2 tblsp (chopped)
Coriander leaves – 2 tblsp ( chopped)
Salt
Lemon – ½
Ghee – 1 table spoon
Oil – 2 table spoons
Shahi jeera – 1 tea spoon
Bay leaves – 2 small
Cloves – 4
Cinnamon – 1” piece
Mace – 1
Cardamom – 2
Method:
-Wash rice, drain and keep aside.
-Slice onion, green chillies.
-Take one cooker, heat oil, put all the masalas from Shahi jeera to cardamom.
-Fry onion, green chillies till it is light brown.
-Add ginger garlic paste and toss. Add chopped beans, fresh chick peas and fry for a while.
-Add salt, drained rice, chopped coriander, pudina and fry for 2 minutes. Add 5 ½ cups of water (rice 1: 1 ½ cups of water + 1cup for veggie)
-When water starts to boil, check for salt, add lemon juice and I table spoon of ghee. Close the cooker lid.
– Cook until one whistle, then simmer for 2 minutes. Switch off the gas.
-When steam relieves mix the rice and serve with Hot cucumber chutney.
Note:
-I usually use 1 ½ cups of water for 1 cup of small grain rice.
-Here additional 1 cup of water is to cook fresh bean.
-Instead of Chana one can use fresh green peas as well.