Chick Peas Dhum Rice

   Chick peas Dhum Rice:

          I have prepared chick peas rice by dhum method like biriyanis. This cooking on dum gives  the beautiful medley of the aromas, flavors and tastes caused by the blending of the ingredients used in making it.  Dum  is a technique of cooking in steam by not allowing the steam to pass. Dhum Pukht literally means choking off the steam. The food is kept in a sealed container – usually clay pots (also known as handi in India) which are sealed tightly . This does not allow the steam to pass. The food gets cooked in its own steam and juices on a slow fire infusing the flavors and aroma of its own herbs and spices in the food. Nutrients are not lost in this process and thus the food is nutritious too.

                                

Ingredients :

·         Kondakadalai/chick peas – ½ cup cooked

·         Rice – 1 cup cooked

·         Onion – 1 finely chopped

·         Tomato – 1 chopped

·         Ginger garlic paste- 1 spn

·         Turmeric powder- ¼ spn

·         Salt as needed

·         Green chilli – 2 chopped

·         Chilli powder – 1spn

·         Garam masala – 1 spn

·         Milk – ¼ cup

·         Yogurt – 3 spn

·         Coriander leaves

·         Mint leaves

·         Ghee – 2 spn

·         Sugar – 1 spn

·         Lemon juice – ½ spn

For seasoning:

·         Cinnamon -1

·         Star anise – 2

·         Bay leaf – 1

·         Cardomon - 1

Preparation :

·         Soak the chick peas the day before (8 hours) and pressure cook it until soft.

·         Cook the rice,cool and keep it aside.

Method :

·         Hat oil in a pot shaped vessel ,add the seasoning items.

·         When it sizzles, add chopped onions and chillis sauté for few mins.

·         Then add tomato, sauté until it mushy.

·         Add ginger garlic paste and sauté them for a minute.

·         Next, add spicy powders(chilli powder, garam masala) and turmeric powder, salt and sauté it till raw smell goes off.

·         Add cooked chick peas and let the spicy powder cook till the water evaporates.

·         Then add milk and yogurt stir well. Mix well everything and add mint leaves and coriander leaves.

·         Transfer chick peas gravy to another vessel and keep it  aside.

Preparation for Dum :

·        In the same pot shaped pan , pour ghee at the bottom  and spread it to all sides.

·        First make a layer of chick peas gravy.

·        Then layer the cooked rice over the gravy.

·        Then spread the second layer gravy over the cooker rice.

·        Spread the remaining rice. I stopped here, but if you want you can make more layers. The rice should be the last layer.

·        Then add chopped mint and coriander leaves at the top of the rice layer.

·        Then add sugar and squeeze lemon juice.

·        Cover with a tight lid. T he steam should not escape from the sides.

·        Keep it on a low flame for 15 mins.

·        Switch off the flame ..Done!

         Serve hot with pappad or any raita. J