Cookbook:Qabuli (Central Asian Rice Pilaf)

South Asian cuisines

Ingredients

 * 500 g dry chickpeas
 * Salt
 * Red pepper
 * ½ tsp ginger garlic paste
 * 1 kg rice
 * Shortening
 * 3 onions, chopped
 * Chile powder
 * Tomato paste
 * ¼ tsp turmeric powder
 * ½ cup chopped cilantro
 * 4–5 green chiles, cut in half

Procedure

 * 1) Soak the chickpeas for half an hour.
 * 2) Boil the chickpeas with salt, red pepper, and ginger garlic paste. Be mindful that after the chickpeas have been cooked, there should not be any water remaining.
 * 3) If there is water remaining, continue cooking until the water has been mostly absorbed.
 * 4) In the meantime, bring the rice to a full boil. Reduce heat to a minimum and cover. Allow to cook for 8–10 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to rest for a similar amount of time.
 * 5) Also, in the meantime, heat some shortening in a pan. Fry the onions until they are light brown, then add tomato paste, salt, red chile powder, and turmeric powder.
 * 6) Arrange the fried onion with the spices, boiled chickpeas, and rice in a large serving dish pot.
 * 7) Garnish with chopped cilantro and green chillies and serve hot.