Brown rice channa/chole briyani

I am huge briyani fan. If I see any new briyani recipe while blog hopping, I would definitely try to make it though I never tried making briyani with brown rice. This brown rice briyani was a last minute decision to make something quick and easy for lunch. I had some boiled leftover chickpeas and I threw in all the spices along with the brown basmati rice into the rice cooker and our lunch was ready in 15 minutes.

These kinds of dishes come in handy for me these days since I have been cooking 2 different set of meals for the kids and us. Sometimes the little ones each want a different foods. There are days like when one wants to eat just curd rice and the other (usually my baby girl) will ask for something like pasta, dosa, puris, or chicken nuggets and fries and in the end there will be no time and energy for me to cook something for my hubby and I.  Its a new experience everyday and once in a while everyone will eat the same dish that I prepare.

This brown rice briyani is an inspiration from chef Sanjeev Kapoor's cookbook. This was a success at my place and my husband thought it was made with white basmati rice.  Now for the recipe:

Ingredients:Brown basmati rice, 1 cup.
Onion, large, 1.
Green chilies, 2.
Ginger-garlic paste, 1 tablespoon.
Cooked chickpeas, 1 cup.
Chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon.
Salt as per taste.
Mint leaves, a handful.
Cinnamon, 3 sticks.
Bayleaf, 2.
Fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon.
Star anise, 2.
Cloves, 3.
Cardamom,  3 pods.
Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.

Procedure:
Wash the rice and let it soak for 15-20 minutes. Slice the onion thinly and slit the green chilies into 2. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the tempering spices (cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and fennel) and fry everything for a few seconds.  Add the sliced onions and green chilies and saute for a few minutes until the onions turn brown. Then add the ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, and salt and mix everything well and fry for a few more minutes.  Transfer the contents into a rice cooker along with 2 cups of water, chickpeas, and mint leaves. Mix everything well and let it cook in the brown rice mode until  done. Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro and serve hot with raita.

Note:

Brown rice is the ideal whole grain for diabetics (my father who is a diabetic saw less raise in blood sugar after consuming brown rice as compared to white rice). It also helps to reduce cholesterol because of its high fiber content and is also ideal for a weight-loss diet. For starters who may not like the size and taste of the grain, you can start with brown basmati rice. This is almost close to white basmati rice