• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Everyday Nourishing Foods
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Breakfast ideas
  • Lunch ideas
  • Dinner ideas
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Instant pot
  • Millet
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Instant pot
    • Millet
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Meal » Lunch

    Chickpeas and rice

    Jan 10, 2023 by Sravanthi. This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    • Facebook27
    • Twitter
    • Yummly
    • Pocket
    • Reddit
    • Flipboard
    • Mix
    Jump to Recipe

    This one-pot, easy, healthy, protein-rich chickpeas rice is an ideal lunch or dinner you can make at home, even on busy days. This vegan and gluten-free recipe needs only staple pantry ingredients and comes out quickly.

    chickpeas and rice in a bowl

    Ingredients

    • Chickpeas- I cooked chickpeas using an Instant pot. You can use canned chickpeas as well. If using canned ones, drain and rinse them well to remove excess salt.
    • Basmati rice- This recipe uses uncooked long-grain basmati rice. So water and cooking times are according to it. Brown rice or short-grain rice will not work here. You can make this recipe using leftover cooked rice as well. Please check the recipe notes.
    • Aromatics- I used only onions to flavor the rice. And the key is to brown the onions. You can even use garlic, ginger, or both to flavor the rice.
    • Spices- I used Indian spices - ground cumin, garam masala, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. You can also use Mexican spice mix, cajun spice mix, and Italian spice mix.
    • Veggies- Veggies are optional, and I used only carrots. I prefer adding veggies to make this meal complete by itself. You can use other veggies like green beans, cauliflower, potatoes, green peas, bell peppers, and beetroot.
    • Coconut milk- I used homemade coconut milk, and it is optional. Using coconut milk will make the rice rich and creamy. You can skip it and replace it with an equal quantity of water or vegetable broth.
    chickpeas and rice in a bowl

    Prep work

    • Wash the basmati rice a couple of times and soak it for up to 30 minutes in a cup of water.
    • Chop the veggies, slice the onions and keep them aside.
    • If cooking chickpeas at home, cook them and keep them aside. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them well to remove excess salt.

    Stovetop Instructions

    • Heat a deep-bottomed pan or dutch oven.
    • Once it is hot, add oil, cumin, bay leaf, and cardamom. Let the cumin seeds splutter a little bit.
    • Now add sliced onions and let them brown. It will take around 7 to 8 minutes. To speed up the process, you can add a pinch of salt to the onions.
    • Add chopped veggies and finely chopped tomato and stir it once.
    • Then goes all spice powders one by one - turmeric powder, ground cumin, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix everything well.
    • Add cooked chickpeas and stir it once.
    • If using coconut milk, add it now. Or add water or vegetable broth and taste-check the salt. For every cup of rice, I use 2 cups of water or coconut milk. 
    • Close the pan with a lid and cook the rice over medium heat. It will take around 10 to 15 minutes. If required, use half a cup of water. Water quantity depends on the age of the rice and the heat level of the stove.
    • Once the rice absorbs all the water and the rice is cooked to your liking, switch off the flame. Let it sit aside for around 5 to 10 minutes. The residual heat will cook it more, and fluff the rice with a fork.
    • Easy, healthy, and delicious rice with chickpeas and veggies is ready to serve!
    chickpeas and rice in a bowl

    Instant pot Instructions

    • Start the Instant pot in saute mode. Once it is hot, add oil, cumin seeds, bay leaf, and cardamom.
    • Add sliced onions to the Instant pot inner pot and let them brown a little bit.
    • I fried the onions for about 4 to 5 minutes by stirring them a couple of times.
    • Then goes chopped veggies and chopped tomato.
    • Add all the spice powders - turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, and salt to this veggie mixture. Mix everything well so that spice powders get coated well with the veggies.
    • Now add cooked chickpeas and stir it once.
    • Add coconut milk (if using) and water to the Instant pot and taste-check the salt. If required, you can add more salt.
    • Drain the water completely from the rice and add it to the Instant Pot.
    • Close the Instant pot with its lid and seal the vent. Stop the saute mode and start it again in manual or pressure cook mode. Cook it for 5 minutes under high pressure.
    • Once the Instant pot finishes cooking, wait for 5 minutes and manually release the pressure. 
    • Take the inner pot out of the instant pot and fluff the rice with the fork. Cover the chickpeas rice with the lid and let it stand for about 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish the rice with cilantro or mint leaves, and the delicious and healthy Instant pot rice with chickpeas is ready to serve!

    Recipe Notes and variations

    • Can we use leftover rice to make this chickpeas rice pilaf? Yes. To make this chickpeas rice with leftover rice, skip adding water or coconut milk. Instead of the raw rice, add cooked rice and mix everything well. And let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. All the spices should coat the rice well. If required, you can add a tablespoon of water. You can use cooked brown rice or white rice.
    • Can we use other beans to make this recipe? Yes, you can make this rice pilaf with kidney beans, black-eyed peas, adzuki beans, and black beans. Make sure to use the cooked beans only.
    • I used coconut oil to make this garbanzo beans pilaf. You can use olive oil or regular vegetable oil as well.
    • This recipe is Indian-style chana pulao, and I used Indian spices. You can substitute them with Mexican spice, cajun spice, or Italian spices to change the flavor.
    • To make this recipe spicier, you can add half a teaspoon of ground black pepper.
    • You can garnish the dish with cilantro leaves, mint leaves, and a dash of lemon juice will enhance the dish's taste.
    chickpeas and rice in a bowl

    Serving suggestions

    This meal is complete with rice, chickpeas, and veggies, and you do not need any side dishes to enjoy. So this makes ideal weekdays lunch or dinner when you are out of time and energy.

    Leftovers can be used as burrito fillings.

    Storage

    If you are using coconut milk to make this chickpeas pilaf, this will not keep well at room temperature. You can store it for 8 hours at room temperature at the max.

    You can refrigerate the rice for a couple of days and freeze it for a month.

    Always reheat the leftovers and discard them if it smells or tastes unusual.

    chickpeas and rice in a bowl

    As you are here, you will love my other one-pot rice dishes.

    Sprouts mint pilaf - Indian-style mint-flavored rice pilaf with added mung bean sprouts.

    Kidney beans rice - Simple and delicious rice and beans

    Lentils and rice - Earthy flavored lentils combined with rice make an excellent pilaf.

    Instant pot Khichdi - Indian rice and lentil porridge that has healing properties.

    If you are looking for some chickpeas recipes, do try these out!

    • instant pot chickpea curry with rice in a bowl
      Instant pot Chickpea curry (Chana Masala)
    • chana saag in a bowl
      Saag Chana (Curried chickpeas and spinach)
    • lentil chickpea curry served with rice
      Chickpea and Lentil Curry (Vegan & Gluten-free)
    • black bean and chickpea salad in a bowl
      Black bean chickpea salad

    Have you tried this recipe? Provide your feedback by giving a star rating and/or leaving comments. And don't forget to share the recipe with others on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.

    Tried this recipe?Give the rating by clicking ★ below
    chickpeas and rice in a bowl

    Chickpeas and rice

    Sravanthi
    This one-pot, easy, healthy, protein-rich chickpeas rice is an ideal lunch or dinner that you can make at home even on your busy days. This vegan and gluten-free recipe needs only staple pantry ingredients and comes out quickly.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Global, Indian
    Servings 4
    Calories 512 kcal

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot
    • Dutch oven
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup basmati rice raw rice
    • 2 cups chickpeas cooked
    • 1 cup coconut milk optional, replace it with water or vegetable broth
    • ½ cup water Use 1 cup for stovetop method
    • ½ cup onions sliced
    • ½ cup tomatoes chopped
    • 1 cup veggies chopped, I used carrots
    • 1.5 tablespoon oil

    Spices

    • 2 bay leaves
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • 5 green cardamom optional
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon red chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
    • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
    • 1.5 teaspoon salt adjust as per your taste

    Instructions
     

    Prep work

    • Wash the basmati rice a couple of times and soak it for up to 30 minutes in a cup of water.
    • Chop the veggies, slice the onions and keep them aside.
    • If cooking chickpeas at home, cook them and keep them aside. If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them well to remove excess salt.

    Stovetop Instructions

    • Heat a deep-bottomed pan or dutch oven.
    • Once it is hot, add oil, cumin, bay leaf, and cardamom. Let the cumin seeds splutter a little bit.
    • Now add sliced onions and let them brown. It will take around 7 to 8 minutes. To speed up the process, you can add a pinch of salt to the onions.
    • Add chopped veggies and finely chopped tomato and stir it once.
    • Then goes all spice powders one by one - turmeric powder, ground cumin, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Mix everything well.
    • Add cooked chickpeas and stir it once.
    • If using coconut milk, add it now. Or add water or vegetable broth and taste check the salt. For every cup of rice, I use 2 cups of water or coconut milk. 
    • Close the pan with a lid and cook the rice over medium heat. It will take around 10 to 15 minutes. If required, use half a cup of water. Water quantity depends on the age of the rice and the heat level of the stove.
    • Once the rice absorbs all the water and the rice is cooked as per your liking, switch off the flame. Let it sit aside for around 5 to 10 minutes. The residual heat will cook it more and fluff the rice with a fork.
    • Easy, healthy, and delicious rice with chickpeas and veggies is ready to serve!

    Instant pot Instructions

    • Start the Instant pot in saute mode. Once it is hot, add oil, cumin seeds, bay leaf, and cardamom.
    • Add sliced onions to the Instant pot inner pot and let them brown a little bit.
    • I fried the onions for about 4 to 5 minutes by stirring them a couple of times.
    • Then goes chopped veggies and chopped tomato.
    • Add all the spice powders - turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, and salt to this veggies mixture. Mix everything well so that spice powders get coated well with the veggies.
    • Now add cooked chickpeas and stir it once.
    • Add coconut milk (if using) and water to the Instant pot and taste check the salt. If required, you can add more salt. For every cup of rice, I use 1.5 cups of water or coconut milk. If you like grainy rice, use only 1.25 cups of water or coconut milk.
    • Drain the water completely from the rice and add it to the Instant Pot.
    • Close the Instant pot with its lid and seal the vent. Stop the saute mode and start it again in manual or pressure cook mode. Cook it for 5 minutes on high pressure.
    • Once the Instant pot finishes cooking, wait for 5 minutes and manually release the pressure. 
    • Take the inner pot out of the instant pot and fluff the rice with the fork. Cover the chickpeas rice with the lid and let it stand for about 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish the rice with cilantro or mint leaves, and the delicious and healthy Instant pot rice with chickpeas is ready to serve!

    Notes

    Nutrition values are my rough estimates. Please feel free to use your calculator if you rely on them for your diet.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 512kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 14gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 917mgPotassium: 631mgFiber: 10gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 2572IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 6mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Healthy lunch recipes

    • easy lentil wraps in a plate
      Easy lentil wraps (Vegan high protein red lentil tortillas)
    • instant pot black beans in a bowl
      Instant pot black beans (Soaked and dried)
    • indian spiced basmati rice in a bowl
      Fragrant Indian rice (Spiced Basmati rice)
    • instant pot masoor dal in a bowl
      Instant pot Masoor dal (Easy Red lentils dal)
    • Facebook27
    • Twitter
    • Yummly
    • Pocket
    • Reddit
    • Flipboard
    • Mix

    Recent Posts

    easy lentil wraps in a plate

    Easy lentil wraps (Vegan high protein red lentil tortillas)

    instant pot black beans in a bowl

    Instant pot black beans (Soaked and dried)

    indian spiced basmati rice in a bowl

    Fragrant Indian rice (Spiced Basmati rice)

    instant pot masoor dal in a bowl

    Instant pot Masoor dal (Easy Red lentils dal)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jude

      May 28, 2022 at 8:17 pm

      5 stars
      This is delicious! I’m home suffering with Covid and wanted something easy and nutritious. I threw in carrots and brocolini, didn’t have cardamon but love it and will pick some up for next time I make this. Really tasty!

      Reply
      • Sravanthi

        May 29, 2022 at 8:04 pm

        Thank you so much for the feedback and I am so glad you liked it. Have a speedy recovery!

        Reply
    2. Gary Kaetzel

      August 25, 2022 at 8:40 am

      5 stars
      I made this tonight and it sure is good!!! I can't wait to eat more tomorrow after the flavors meld overnight! I used 1 cup of frozen mixed veggies and added some chicken to it after pressure cooking. The recipe didn't specify which cardamom to use but looking at the pics it sure looked like green cardamoms, so that's what I used! Thanks for this great recipe! I will make it again!

      Reply
      • Sravanthi

        August 29, 2022 at 7:06 pm

        Thank you so much for the feedback! And I am so glad that you liked it. Yes, those are green cardamom. I will update the recipe.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Google Web Stories

    Take a look at my web stories...

    Namaste :)

    Hello, I’m Sravanthi. Here I share easy, healthy, and tasty recipes. I believe in “we are what we eat” and always try to eat homemade food. All my recipes are free from processed foods or ready-made foods and can be done easily without spending much time in the kitchen. more about me!

    Follow me on social media

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy

    Recipes

    • Instant pot recipes
    • Millet recipes

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.