The Crazy Kitchen: Chickpea Biryani

Thursday 20 October 2011

Chickpea Biryani

It was 7pm, I was hungry and had forgotten to take the stuffed chicken out of the freezer. It had been a long day as Jack had been off pre-school with a suspected stomach bug, I'd missed parents evening as I needed to stay at home with Jack rather than take him to a friends & risk spreading the bug, he then threw up on the trampoline, kids were arguing & I'd been in the kitchen for the last 2 hours providing a conveyor belt of food!


I looked in the fridge for inspiration - mushrooms way past their best before that needed using up so that ruled out jacket spuds & beans. I then recalled the Biryani that I'd seen on Reluctant Housedad's Recipe Shed earlier in the day - but I had no chicken, except the frozen stuffed chicken breasts - in the house. Ah well, I could add a can of chickpeas & tell the husband that the chicken was chopped up very small & hope that he didn't notice.


Don't Tell The Husband There's No Meat in It Chickpea Biryani


1 onion
tbsp olive oil
1/2 pack Schwartz  bombay potatoes mix
can of chickpeas
couple of big handfuls of basmati rice
handful of sultanas
2 tbsp coconut
mushrooms
boiling water



If I'd had a banana I would've added that too


Sorry I can't be more specific with the weights & measurements but I don't usually measure unless I'm baking or following a specific recipe.



  • Fry the onion in the olive oil for a couple of minutes.
  • Add the spice mix and chickpeas and stir
  • Add the basmati rice and some boiling water and stir, put the lid on keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't dry out.
  • Stir in the sultanas, coconut and mushrooms
  • Add more water, around a cupful at a time, until the rice is tender and water has been absorbed.



Serve with a spoonful of natural yoghurt and some of The Curry Guy's Lime pickle - or if, like me, you haven't got any lime pickle then any pickle or chutney would do (except Branston's, horrible stuff) - like my prizewinning Marrow chutney for example.


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5 comments:

  1. Love inspiring you, and love what you do with it. I must check at Curry Guy's lime pickle. Love that stuff. In fact, I'm full of love tonight

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  2. I love how you love that you inspire me and I love that you love what I do with it.......
    I might even try that Lime pickle for next weeks recipe shed if I'm feeling brave...

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  3. Yum, my kind of food. I'm a big fan of throw it all together :)

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  4. some of the best meals come out of throwing it all together!

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  5. That actually sounds very nice!! Did hubby like it?

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