If you love serving yourself up a healthful bowl of food every now and then – or all the time – I have for you your new favorite meal. This chickpea rice pilaf is as delicious as it is simple and if you have some cooked rice handy it can go from scratch to done in 15 minutes flat. I love these one-pot rice recipes, and I’ve shared so many of them with you on the blog, including vegan lemon garlic rice, vegan dirty rice, vegan jambalaya, vegan paella, and vegan arroz con “pollo”. This chickpea rice I have for you here is as delicious as all these, and it’s also more healthful. For one, it’s made with brown rice. It also packs lots of veggies and the chickpeas and peanuts add healthy protein. The combination of ingredients also creates a dish with lots of texture and flavor. The brown rice is slightly chewy, the peanuts have a lovely bite, and the chickpeas and yellow squash are soft and creamy. Yum.
Why you’ll love this chickpea rice recipe
How to make chickpea rice
Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Add the cumin seeds and, when they begin to darken in a few seconds, add the peanuts and the jalapeno. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
Add in the onions and saute until the onions soften. Mix in the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Add in the squash and bell peppers and saute for 3-4 minutes until they get fairly tender.
Add the tomatoes and toss quickly. Stir in the powdered spices–turmeric and garam masala – and mix with the veggies.
Add in the chickpeas, stir them in, and then add the rice. Check salt and add more if needed. Toss the rice gently with the chickpeas and veggies, taking care not to break the rice grains, and once the rice is coated evenly with the masalas, place a lid on the skillet and let the rice steam for a couple of minutes just so it warms through. Sprinkle on the cilantro and serve hot.
Expert tips
If you cook the rice from scratch add a bit of salt and a pinch of ground black pepper to it so the rice has some flavor. You can also add in a couple of bay leaves. When making any flavored rice, make sure you don’t overhandle or stir the rice too much as that could break the rice grains and turn the rice gummy. Stir just enough to mix, then stop.
What to serve with chickpea rice
The chickpea rice is a one-pot meal with veggies, carbs and proteins all present in a single bowl. Serve it with vegan raita, which complements it nicely, for maximum deliciousness. You can also serve some poppadum on the side although it’s not necessary. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
Storage instructions
Refrigerator: The chickpea rice keeps nicely in the fridge for up to three days. Freezer: Freeze chickpea rice in an airtight container for up to four months. Reheating: Reheat frozen rice or refrigerated rice in the microwave or thaw and reheat in a skillet over the stovetop.
More yummy Indian chickpea recipes
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