Turkish Rice Pilaf with Chickpeas: Nohutlu Pilav

Turkish rice pilaf with chickpeas is one of my favorite street foods. It reminds me of late nights out with friends, sitting on the curb and devouring it in enamel dishes provided by the vendor before we all catch a bus home. Not every nohutlu pilav you see on the street is vegan, however, since vendors often use chicken broth and butter to flavor their rice. Luckily, veganizing it at home is very easy.

In this recipe I will share all the details of how us Turks generally cook rice. I realize that “rice” may not sound too exciting, but trust me, there are vast differences between how each culture cooks theirs.

Essential Steps to make the best Turkish Rice Pilaf with Chickpeas

Following steps will ensure a flavorful bite of pilaf with distinct pearl-like grains. Rice that sticks together is the opposite of what we are going for to optimize this scrumptious yet humble meal.

1- Use the right type of rice.

Since this is a Turkish recipe, we will use white Baldo rice. This type is not always very easy to find so feel free to use Arborio instead. You can also make it whole grain by substituting brown or red by adjusting the cooking times, but the result won’t be nearly as creamy.

Another crucial detail is to...

2- ...Always rinse

Otherwise you may as well throw some rice into the rice cooker and make sticky rice instead. Even though I love that style as well, we are trying to avoid sticky at all costs in this one. So rinse off as much starch as you can while you prep.

3- Turks use lots of oil in their rice

Usually both saturated and unsaturated kinds in the form of sunflower oil and butter. I try to avoid oil, especially saturated ones, but always make an exception for special recipes.

4- Broth matters

You can choose to use vegetable stock or a bouillon alternative. I love the Better than Bouillon brand to substitute chicken stock.

5- Get creative

Don’t get me wrong, I love rice as is, but it can get quite boring after a while. In Turkish cuisine, depending on the specific region, there are many extra ingredients you can experiment with. My hometown, Izmir, loves to add peas and carrots. Other places will add orzo or vermicelli, or, as with this recipe-- chickpeas.

6- Don’t forget to cover your rice with a dish/paper towel at the end

This step is crucial if you want to impress with very distinct grains of rice. Otherwise, the liquidating steam on the lid will drip back inside the pot. Again, we are going for the opposite of sticky rice. 

Optimizing Nutrition

Butter, salt, vegetable oil, white rice... this recipe is far from WFPB. You can omit the oils and salt, sub brown or red rice— but at that point it won't be anywhere close to the traditional recipe. It will be a regular pot of grains fit for Buddha bowls. That is why I make rice this way as a treat every now and then, usually on weekends or for guests. [May 2020 Edit] ...or during quarantine, as we try to maximize any sensory excitement provided by our pantry staples.

However, you can still use the earlier tips (rinsing and covering) for less sticky varieties of a healthier version of pilaf.

Uses for Turkish Rice Pilaf with Chickpeas

You can use this recipe pretty much anywhere you would otherwise be having rice. Here are some of my favorite uses for and sides to pilaf:

• Vegetable stew
• Olive-oil dishes
• Vegan kofta
• Ayran (frothy yogurt drink)
• Pickles

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