Rice and chole is a very popular dish of Punjabi cuisine which my daughter is very fond of. For today’s school lunch I had made chole rice with a very unique twist. This is Tarla Dalal’s recipe. The unique ingredient used here is Aam achaar ( mango pickle).

It tasted really different and yummy. Those who are fond of mango pickle will certainly like this recipe. My family liked it very much and I hope you all would like it too:)

Ingredients

Basmati rice- 11/4th cup

Chole ( chick peas/ kondakadalai) – 1 cup

Aam achaar ( mango pickle) – 2 tbsps

Ghee- 1 tbsp

Onions – 2

Garlic – 5-6 cloves

Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/4th tsp

Garam masala – 1/2 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Onion seeds ( kalonji) – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds ( methi/ vendhayam) – 1 tsp

Fennel saunf/ sombu) – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds ( jeera) – 1/2 tsp

Cardamom – 3-4

Asafoetida ( hing/ Perungayam) – 1/4th tsp

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsps

Methods

Wash and soak chole over night or 8/10 hours.

Drain the water, add fresh water and little salt and pressure cook for 5-6 whistles. It should be cooked soft but should not become mushy.

Drain and keep the Chole aside. Reserve the drained water.

Wash and soak rice for 15-20 mins. Drain and keep it aside.

Peel, wash and slice onions.

Wash, crush and chop garlic.

Grind the aam achaar ( pickle) to a paste.

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan.

Add mustard. When it starts spluttering, add onion seeds, fennel, fenugreek, cumin and hing. Sauté for few seconds and then add garlic.

Sauté for a min and add sliced onions. Sauté till the onion turns pale and add the ground pickle paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder.

Sauté till oil starts floating.

Now add the rice and cooked chole and sauté for a min.

To the reserved water add little more fresh water to make it 21/2 cups of water and add it to the rice. Add salt to taste and mix well. When the water starts boiling, reduce the flame, close the pan with a lid and cook till rice becomes soft and dry.

Fluff the rice gently. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with raita and papad 🙂