Chickpea biriyani, No oil

An interesting fusion of chickpea curry and basmati rice, with added flavor and aroma.

The mystical ingredients are...

For the chickpea curry,

Cinnamon - 1 small stick

Cloves - 2

Onion - 1, large

Garlic - 2 cloves

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Green chili - 2

Water - 3 Tbsp

Tomato - 1

Nutritional yeast - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Chickpeas (boiled) - 1 and 1/2 cup

Curd - 1/4 cup

For the rice,

Basmati rice - 1 and 1/4 cup

Water - 1 cup

Vegetable soup cube - 1

Saffron - a few strands

Lemon - 1/2

The method...

Slice onion into thin pieces. Mince ginger, garlic and chili. Chop tomato roughly.

Heat a deep-bottomed steel pan and fling in cinnamon stick and cloves. After a few seconds, cast in onion, ginger, garlic , chili and a splash of water. Stir around until the onions soften. Throw in tomato and mix for a few minutes. Add in yeast flakes, salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala.

Stir for a minute more and turn off heat.

Set aside to cool. Grind to a coarse mixture.

Heat the pan again and throw in the cooked chickpeas and ground mishmash. Combine. Add in the curd and incorporate.

Turn off the heat and keep aside.

Soak rice in water for 15 minutes. Drain water. Grind saffron strands using a mortar and pestle. Add 1/2 cup hot water into it and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Add this over the rice and another 1/2 cup water too. Add in the vegetable soup cube and lemon juice. Pressure cook for just a whistle, so that the rice is not fully cooked but almost.