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Qubooli

Published: | LAST UPDATED ON: Oct 27, 2024 by Lubna Karim

Authentic Hyderabadi Qubooli is mildly spicy, aromatic and flavorsome one pot meal recipe. Qubooli is purely vegetarian main meal recipe made with fragrant basmati recipe, protein-rich chana dal and aromatic Indian spices and minimal masalas.

food styling of qubooli biryani

What is Qubooli?

Qubooli or Qabooli or Qubuli is a simple and filling Hyderabadi chana dal biryani recipe. No vegetable other than onion and few herbs like coriander leaves and mint leaves (optional) are used in making this recipe. The rice and chana dal masala are layered and cooked on dum to get that amazing biryani taste in the recipe. Sounds delicious right? Check the recipe and try it today!

In many houses qubooli or kubuli is made on Muharram Day. This is one of the easy to make Iftar dinner recipe too. The best part is you can have the leftover in suhoor too.

5 Easy Iftar Dinner Ideas

Egg Dum Biryani

Hyderabadi Chicken Tahari

Mixed Beans Veg Pulao

Pudina Pulao

Soya Dum Biryani

Poor man's biryani recipe

Poor Man’s Biryani – Qubooli

Hyderabadi qubooli recipe is also called as Poor Man’s Biryani because,

  • it is made without any vegetables.
  • the spices used in the recipe are very minimal.
  • Chana dal brings the taste of meat in the recipe.
  • Can easily be made with normal rice like sona masoori too.

Tips To Make Perfect Hyderabadi Qubooli Recipe

  • Soaking chana dal for 30-60 minutes before cooking, will reduce the cooking time of dal.
  • Simultaneously soak rice in another bowl and it helps in cooking rice faster.
  • If you have time, then do not pressure cook chana dal. Boil it in a vessel with enough water until just cooked.
  • If you are in hurry, then pressure cook chana dal for only one whistle, otherwise the dal will turn mushy and you will end up with soupy chana dal.
chana dal biryani recipe

Food, Memories and Stories

Sometimes, when I start to write a post, I feel I boarded a time travel machine and which has transported me back in time. I start to remember, when I first tasted it, my first attempt to try the recipe or the time when I first saw it or even heard about the recipe. Every heirloom or authentic or traditional recipe will carry a story with them. Agree or not?

Sometimes that story or memory will be playing in your mind in repeat loop when you make it, click a picture of it or when you sit to write a post about it. This Qubooli biryani recipe is also associated with some fond memories.

The memories of my grandma’s house, family gatherings, warm winter dinners, and much more. I learnt to make this qubooli recipe from my mami (wife of my maternal uncle). Alhamdulillah, my mami is a wonderful cook. During my holidays, I use to stand in the kitchen and chit chat with her, all the time, while she was cooking. I think I picked up my love for cooking from there on. Recipes like qubooli, karele ka khatta, shami kebab, qubani ka meetha, custard, etc; are some delicacies which I learnt to make from my mami.

gluten-free vegetarian biryani recipe

Hyderabadi Qubooli Recipe is,

  • Easy to Make: Hyderabadi Qubooli is a straightforward recipe that doesn’t require elaborate cooking techniques. With simple steps like cooking rice, tempering spices, and adding lentils, it can be prepared without much hassle, making it an ideal choice for both novice and experienced cooks.
  • Protein-Rich: The inclusion of chana dal (split Bengal gram) in Qubooli adds a significant amount of protein to the dish. This makes it not only filling but also a nutritious option, particularly for those looking to increase their protein intake without relying on meat.
  • Gluten-Free: Qubooli is naturally gluten-free as it primarily consists of rice and lentils. This makes it a suitable choice for individuals with gluten intolerance or those following a gluten-free diet. This qubooli recipe ensures you enjoy a hearty and delicious meal without worry.
  • One Pot Meal: Qubooli is a convenient one-pot meal where all the ingredients are cooked together, reducing the need for multiple dishes and making cleanup easier. It’s perfect for those who prefer minimal cooking effort while still enjoying a wholesome dish.
  • Comforting: The combination of aromatic spices, tender lentils, and fluffy rice creates a comforting and satisfying dish. It’s warm, flavorful, and has a rich taste that is both soothing and enjoyable, making it a go-to option for a comforting meal.
  • Filling: Qubooli is a hearty dish that is both filling and satisfying. The blend of rice and lentils provides a balanced meal that keeps you full for a long time. Excellent choice for lunch or dinner when you need a meal that will sustain you.

Main Ingredients to make Qubooli Rice are,

Rice: You can either use basmati or normal sona masoori rice to make this qubooli recipe. Basmati will bring flavor, but if you do not have basmati at home, then you can easily make this with normal sona masoori rice.

Chana Dal: We use split lentils or baby chickpeas in making qubooli. Chana dal contains no cholesterol or trans-fat.  Diabetic friendly and good source of vegetarian protein.

Garam Masala: The only spices we use in this recipe are Cloves, Cinnamon and Cardamom.

Curd: Try using thick fresh curd in this recipe. I prefer fresh homemade curd. I have a detailed recipe on how to make thick curd at home. Do check it out.

Ghee: We use desi ghee in this recipe. If you do not want to use ghee, then use oil. I use half ghee and half oil in making this qubooli biryani.

Hyderabadi Qubooli Recipe

Birista: Thin, crisp, deep-fried and nice golden brown sliced onion is called birista. The heart of any biryani is birita and spices. Perfectly fried onions will bring great taste in any recipe, when added.

Yield: 6

Qubooli

food styling of qubooli biryani

Hyderabadi Authentic Qubooli is mildly spicy, aromatic and flavorsome one pot meal recipe. Qubooli is a pure vegetarian recipe made with fragrant basmati recipe, protein-rich chana dal and aromatic Indian Spices.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Basmati rice, washed and soaked for 15 minutes
  • ¾ cup Chana dal, washed and soaked for 2-3 hours
  • 1 Onion, peeled and sliced
  • 1 ½ tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
  • ½ tbsp Garam Masala *
  • 2 tbsp Curd, beaten (to avoid lumps)
  • 1 tbsp Red chilli powder
  • ¼ tbsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 Green chilli, deseeded
  • 2 Cardamoms
  • 2 Cloves
  • 1 no. 2” inch Cinnamon stick
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 4-5 springs fresh Coriander leaves
  • 10-12 fresh Mint leaves
  • Salt
  • Ghee/Oil

Instructions

How to make The Best Hyderabadi Qubooli Recipe

STEP 1: Making Birista

Check out my detailed recipe on making perfect birista or fried onions.

STEP 2: Cooking Chana Dal

  1. Cook chana dal till soft but not mushy by adding fresh water along with a drop of oil.
  2. Once dal gets cooked and cooled, drain the excess water using a sieve and set aside.
  3. In a skillet, add ghee and oil and fry onions until they turn translucent. Now add ginger-garlic paste along with green chillies and fry till raw smell of ginger-garlic paste wafts.
  4. Now to this add red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Fry for a minute, lower the flame and add  whisked curd.
  5. Keep stirring until oil starts to separate. Now add cooked chana dal and gently mix the ingredients.
  6. Add half of birista, chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves and turn off the flame.
  7. Our chana dal masala is ready for layering. Cover with lid and set aside.

STEP 3: Cooking Rice

  1. Add 7-8 cups of water to a heavy bottom cooking vessel and bring it to boil by adding little salt, ginger-garlic paste and garam masala.
  2. When water starts to boil add soaked basmati rice and give it a quick and gently stir.
  3. Cook on medium flame. When the rice turns soft, turn off the flame and drain the drain the excess water using sieve.

STEP 4: Layering the Rice and Chana Dal

  1. In the same vessel (in which we cooked rice) add 2 tbsp. of oil or ghee (I use the ghee in which I fried onions). Tilt the vessel to coat the bottom of the vessel with ghee.
  2. Now add half of the cooked rice and top it up with cooked chana dal masala, coriander leaves, mint leaves, lemon juice and garam masala. Cover this with another layer of remaining rice.
  3. Sprinkle lemon juice, saffron milk (food color) and 4-5 tbsp. of ghee. If using add chopped coriander and mint leaves too.
  4. Cover with a lid and seal with a foil or kitchen tissue.
  5. Place some heavy weight on top of the lid. I generally use the water drained from rice or I place heavy mortar and pestle on top of lid to seal the dum.
  6. Cook on low flame for another 30 minutes. Turn off the flame and let it sit on stove for 10-15 minutes before serving.

STEP 5: Mixing and Serving

  1. Carefully remove the lid and gently mix the rice starting from the side of the vessel. Do not mix the rice from centre of the vessel.
  2. Remove in a serving vessel and serve warm with raita or kaddu ka dalcha.
  3. Add your 'love' to make this qubooli dish taste 'YUMMY'.

Notes

Lubna's Serving Suggestions:

As Qubooli is one pot meal, you may not require any other side dish to with it. But if you are making it for a party or weekend lunch or dinner, then here are some delicious side dish recipes which pair up perfectly with this zaiqedaar Hyderabadi Qubooli recipe,

Bagare Tamatar

Hyderabadi Bagare Baingan

Onion Raita

Mirchi ka Salan

Achari Mugh

Pudinaewale Aloo

Kaddu ka Dalcha

Mutton Dalcha

Shami Kebab

Here is a quick weekend veg thali idea,

Qubooli + Shahi Mixed Vegetable Curry + Onion Raita + Burhani

Iftar Party Menu Idea

Qubooli + Mutton Dalcha + Mirchi ka Salan + Shahi Murgh Korma + Riata + Zaffrani Gulab Jamun + Custard

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 180Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 258mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g

The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

Did you like this recipe?

Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or a review in the comments section below. Tag @lubnakarim06 on Instagram or use hashtag #yummyfoodlubna to tag

© Lubna Karim
Cuisine: Indian / Category: One Pot Meal Recipes

UPDATED: This Qubooli is going to participate in MLLA – 18 hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons, event by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.

Comments

  3. jeyashrisuresh says

    on seeing the name i thought it was some complicated recipe,but when i scrolled down it sounds easy and nice too."Poor man's biryani":Pthanks for sharing

    Reply

  4. Akal's Saappadu says

    I've never known about this poor man's briyani; even though it doesn't have meat/ vegetables, the meal is nicely balanced with the protein content in the channa dhal & with rice and the raitas and the chutney , it makes a whole delicious meal!!! nice post!!

    Reply

  6. Tina says

    Its a new recipe to me….Delicious and different dish. Nice clicks and presentation dear….

    Reply

  7. Sushma Mallya says

    nice recipe lubna,will do this one…and beautiful clicks as always,i like the way u present it..

    Reply

  9. Curry Leaf says

    Have heard about this,but never knew it was poor mans' biryani.The recipe is new to me.Looks inviting and a must try.

    Reply

  10. lata raja says

    A lovely post of a very delectable dish. Thanks Lubna for sharing, bookmarked the recipe.

    Reply

  11. Kitchen Flavours says

    Thank you Jeyashri, Varunavi, Raks, Akal, Tina, Priya, Astra, Sushma, Priyanaka, Curry Leaf and Lata.

    Reply

  13. Pari says

    I had heard the name of the recipe, but never knew it's called poor….loved the preparartion.

    Reply

  14. Nandini says

    Qubooli-A cool name it is! It looks delicious and appetizing! BTW, did you do the glass painting on that glass bowl?No, I'm not in FB.

    Reply

  17. Sanjana says

    I've never come across this recipe before- looks delicious, I'll be sure to try it sometime. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  19. SE(Denufood) says

    hey thanks for stopping by and for the wonderful comments..loved this version of biryani..beautiful pics too

    Reply

  21. Astra Libris says

    So true, your words about food and memories – the stories behind the recipes are what make the recipes extra special, indeed! You describe the connection between food and memories so beautifully… and I love the story behind this gorgeous dish, too!

    Reply

  23. Malar Gandhi says

    Never heard, sounds so nice and comforting. And I agree with associated memories, same here:) Lovely presentation, dear. Like to try this recipe soon.

    Reply

  26. vineetha says

    Thanks a lot for visiting my blog…First time in ur blog..U r blog is absolutely fabulous…Superb clicks.I have become a fan of urs…:)HATS OFF TO U 🙂

    Reply

  30. Swathi says

    Lubna,i am going to try this, as anything with dal is good in my household, it looks yummy with spices, nice clicks too

    Reply

  31. Muneeba says

    My mom would be so proud of me if I made this successfully. Now that I'm an official follower of your blog, I think I'd like to try ALL your recipes … they're too irresistible!

    Reply

  37. tigerfish says

    I love any biryani – rich man's, poor man's, rich woman's, poor woman's….LOL! I learn a new word "qubooli" today.

    Reply

  39. sayantani says

    first time on your blog and am in love with it. gorgeous photographs…as about the recipe never heard of it…but its an one dish meal…and these days (i have a 9 month old to take care of) I adore them. lovely

    Reply

  41. kothiyavunu says

    Beautiful pic and writeup…New recipe for me!poor man briyani looks and sounds yummy.Will def give it a shot, one of these days.

    Reply

  43. Gita says

    This is a very new recipe for me Lubna….must be very aromatic….I have bookmarked this one…thanks :)…I like the presentation too 🙂

    Reply

  44. Katy ~ says

    What beautiful photographs! And as I so enjoy rice, this sounds super super good to me! When you say curd, is it yogurt or a kind of cheese?

    Reply

  46. munchcrunchandsuch says

    as usual beautiful pics Lubna..and u r so ite about memories relating to food..esp with granmas..the list is long..I love the recipe..and i will b glad to try it out cos its a pure veg dish

    Reply

  50. Sunshinemom says

    Beautiful presentations, Lubna! This is new to me and am definitely trying it for my family. It seems quite rich in taste even though it is the poor man's biryani:). I guess I would rather be poor for this one!

    Reply

  52. Kitchen Flavours says

    Thank you Rekha, Happy Cook, Latha, Nandini, Pari, Sanjana, Sharmilee, SE, Sarah, Deesha, Lissie, Malar, Shama, Vineetha, Nataysha, Balakrishan Saraswathy, Sailaja, Sayantani, Deershana, Swathi, Cham, Muneeba, Siddhi, Sumi, Nisha, Tigerfish, Anupama, Yasmeen, Kothiyavunu, Chaklere, Gita, Katy, Simply Life, Shubha, Padma, Rosa, Sunshinemom and Priya.

    Reply

  54. Mallugirl says

    poor man's biryani.. isin't there an Egyptian rice like this? The recipes with memories are the best!

    Reply

  55. A 2 Z Vegetarian Cuisine says

    Very nice dish. Your photos are awesome, wish i could take such beautiful photographs some day.

    Reply

  57. Noor says

    Hi I wanted to tell you that I am giving away a free banner at my design site so hurry and check it out.. <3http://sosweetdesigns.blogspot.com/

    Reply

  61. Nithya Praveen says

    I agree…story behind recipes makes it all the more great.Nice post Lubna.Hope u r doing fine…its been a while:).

    Reply

  65. Sophie says

    MMMMMMMMMM,…all of your fine food looks always inspiring, I am learning new things & this recipe looks so good!Thanks a lot!!!

    Reply

  71. Parita says

    This is something very new to me and i must say it sounds extremely flavorful, as usual gorgeous pictures!!

    Reply

  74. munchcrunchandsuch says

    Lubna, I tried tis at home yesterday and i came out really well.Thanks for sharing this recipe.But I mad a small mistake- I dint really notice that the masalas are to be ground, instead I used them whole.

    Reply

  76. Chow and Chatter says

    oh wow looks delish and amazing pictures what a great blog you have will follow lol Rebecca

    Reply

  79. Divya Vikram says

    How have you been Lubna? Long since I dropped by your space. Amazing recipe and pictures.

    Reply

  80. Kitchen Flavours says

    Thank you Sum, Mallugirl, A2Z, Faith, Noor, Prathibha, Suma, A&N, Nithya, Deepa, Gulmohar, RV, Sophie, Pigpigscorner, Khaugiri, Shri, Sabah, Neema, Parita, PJ, Veggie Belly, Rebecca, Homecooked and Divya.Indonesian-Eats – Anytime dear….Shubha – Iam glad that u liked the recipe…..

    Reply

  82. Malar Gandhi says

    Dear Lubna,I aware that you're a Great cook and I adore your blog.Just for a change…I am hosting a funny Event in my site about Kitchen Mishaps!Please check it out:http://www.kitchentantra.com/2009/12/kitchen-mishaps-event-announcement.htmlWould you like to participate?I will greatly appreciate your contribution.Also I want to know, what should I do…to put this 'Event Announcement' in your blog 'Events n Round up'. Please let me know the details.ThanksMalar Gandhiwww.kitchentantra.com

    Reply

  84. Mythreyi Dilip says

    Looks real yum, i loved the way u called "as poor mans biryani". Book marking da.

    Reply

  87. AshKuku says

    HeyLong time no c….It's really been long since I saw u around… Initially when u commented on my blog…. I did not know much of anything related.. & hence did not get a chance of visiting u….But now OMG! U have an awesome space… with awesome collection of preps & with awesome pic to match…. All your pics are real arts….Glad I came…… hope to c u around sometime….Cheers To You!!!!!Ash….(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

    Reply

  89. Kitchen Flavours says

    Thank you Madhavi. Mythreyi, 3 hungry tummies, AshKuku and Divya.M.Malar – Thank u for the compliments dear….will try to send you something pretty soon….Varunavi – Things are fine….just little busy with some other work.

    Reply

  91. Pavithra says

    Mmm i too make this kind of rice but i use toor dhal instead.. dhal biriyani as u said.. looks perfet. nice photos.

    Reply

  96. Reva says

    Never heard of this recipe ever before… Looks super delicious. You have a very homely style of food presentation..:) Loved it..Thanks for linking it to the event dear..:) Reva

    Reply

  97. renu's foodigest says

    these days i am attracted to everything that has chickpeas in it.. have never had this before and so gonna try soon… love ur clicks

    Reply

  99. cocomelon birthday cakes says

    It was nice to go through your post. Thanks for sharing the recipe here. Keep up the good work.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. […] to think what to make for my veg friends…?? I can easily manage main course by making veg pulao, qubooli, veg biryani, etc…but thinking of starters I get […]

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