Spicy Indian chickpea curry is one of the most popular vegan curry recipes. With this easy chana masala Instant Pot recipe, you'll transform economical and healthy dried chickpeas into a flavorful, vegan, and gluten-free meal that you can easily customize.
Indian recipes like red lentil masoor dal, vegan black bean curry, creamy dal makhani, or healthy mulligatawny soup are perfect for the Instant Pot, so it's no wonder that our favorite go-to curry, chana masala, was a motivation for getting the Instant Pot in the first place. But not to worry, you can also make stovetop chana masala.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
✔ Quick prep using a spice blend of ground rather than whole spices.
✔ My version of chana masala uses simple ingredients and easy-to-source spices you'll find at the grocery store.
✔ Let the Instant Pot do the work! After prepping, you just need to cook the aromatics for 5 minutes. Job done!
✔ Perfect for meal prep, freezing, and portable lunches.
Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions
Chickpeas. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are high-protein, easy to digest, and one of the best dry beans for Instant Pot recipes. The best part of using dry chickpeas is that they hold their shape and texture after pressure cooking. And dried chickpeas are a lot cheaper than canned beans (although I'll show you how to use those too).
Onions. Use yellow or sweeter red onion.
Garlic and ginger. I prefer fresh garlic and ginger, but you can use ginger-garlic paste as a substitute.
Fresh chili. I usually use jalapenos for chana masala, but you are not limited. Any red or green chilies, or a combination, can be used. You can also substitute with red chili powder (not Mexican chili powder) or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Tomatoes. Fresh tomatoes, even those that are a little soft. You can substitute with 2 cans of diced tomatoes if you need an alternative.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Recipe Variations
Chana masala powder is a popular Indian spice blend featuring dried pomegranate, dry mango powder (amchur powder), red chilies, and other traditional Indian spices. This can be used in place of the dried spices if you have it.
Curry powder and garam masala powder are not commonly used in chana masala recipes; however, this is your recipe, so play with the spices. A pinch here and there - you never know what might happen.
For a thicker masala sauce, add a tablespoon of tomato paste. This is also helpful if you are a little short on fresh tomatoes.
How to Soak Dry Chickpeas
Soaking is super easy. Rinse and drain 2 cups of chickpeas. Pick out any that are discolored. Add them to the Instant Pot liner or a large pot. Cover with enough water at least 2 inches over the chickpeas. If your chickpeas are older or look parched, add more water. You can’t hurt them. Let them soak overnight or for at least 4 hours.
I usually quick-soak chickpeas by adding boiling water to the bowl and soaking them for 2 hours. You can also soak them overnight in tap water.
Forget to soak the chickpeas? No worries, rinse them off and add them to the Instant Pot per the directions. Allow an extra 10 minutes of pressure cooking.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Heat the Instant Pot on the sauté mode and add the onions and jalapenos. Cook them for 4-5 minutes until they soften.
Step 2: Add garlic, ginger, and ground spices. Stir for 30 seconds. Turn off the Instant Pot.
Step 3: Add the water (or vegetable broth), tomatoes, and soaked chickpeas. Stir the bottom of the pot to clear it.
Step 4: Place the lid on the Instant Pot and close the steam handle. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes and 10 minutes of natural pressure release.
Pro Tips
Avoid burning your fingers by using a spoon or another utensil to open the steam handle and release the remaining pressure.
Using canned chickpeas
Rinsed and drained canned chickpeas cut the cooking time to 10 minutes in the Instant Pot. Adjust the water or vegetable broth to 1 cup. You'll need 3 cans (4 ½ cups) of cooked chickpeas. Canned chickpeas make this an easy cook on the stovetop. I have an entire recipe dedicated to one-pot chana masala with cilantro cream.
Serving Suggestions
Serve big bowls of chana masala over basmati rice or healthy brown rice. Garnish with lemon wedges or chopped cilantro.
Curry is always delicious, with bread on the side. I recommend whole wheat and potato tortillas, sweet potato flatbread, or baked veggie pakoras.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or freeze it for 3 months. For best results, store cooked rice separately.
Chana masala is a generic term referring to a spicy Indian curry with chickpeas. Punjabi chole masala is a chickpea curry that reflects specific spices and ingredients of the Punjabi region of Northern India. Punjabi chole is chana masala, but not all chana masalas (chickpea curries) fit into the Punjabi style of cooking.
To thicken chana masala sauce, mash some of the cooked chickpeas with the back of a spoon. Likewise, add a tablespoon of tomato paste (tomato puree). Set the Instant Pot on the sauté mode and continue cooking the curry for another 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it reduces.
Sometimes older chickpeas or unsoaked chickpeas are too hard after cooking in the Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker. If this happens, replace the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for an additional 5 minutes. You can also simmer the chickpeas on sauté mode or medium-high heat on the stove.
More Vegan Chickpeas Recipes
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If you make this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It’s much appreciated!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Easy Chana Masala Instant Pot Recipe (Chickpea Curry)
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Ingredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas - soaked (see instructions)
- 2 medium onions - diced, 2 cups
- 1 -2 medium jalapenos - minced (remove the seeds and core if you don’t want to too spicy)
- 3-4 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger - minced (1 ½ inch ginger)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 large tomatoes - diced (about 4 cups)
- 3 cups vegetable broth - or water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
How to soak chickpeas
- Quick soak. Rinse 2 cups of dried chickpeas. Add them to a large pot or the Instant Pot liner and cover them with at least 2 inches of boiling water. Let them soak for at least 2 hours.
- Overnight soak. Cover the chickpeas with at least double the amount of tap water and soak overnight at room temperature.
- If you forget to soak the chickpeas, rinse them, and increase the cooking time by 10 minutes.
How to make Chana Masala
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode, then add the onions and jalapenos. Stir them so they don't stick to the bottom. Cook for 5 minutes to soften them.
- Mix in the garlic, ginger, and spices. Stir constantly for 30 seconds. Turn the Instant Pot off.
- Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and 3 cups of water or vegetable broth. Stir the bottom of the Instant Pot to release any ingredients stuck to the bottom.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and close the steam valve to 'sealing.' Cook the chana masala on high pressure for 35 minutes.
- After cooking, allow 10 minutes of natural pressure release (NPR). Then carefully open the steam handle.
- Serve over rice with lemon wedges or chopped cilantro if desired.
Video
Notes
- Store leftover curry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or freeze it for 3 months. For best results, store cooked rice separately.
- To thicken chana masala sauce, mash some of the cooked chickpeas with the back of a spoon. Likewise, add a tablespoon of tomato paste (tomato puree). Set the Instant Pot on the saute mode and continue cooking the curry for another 10 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it reduces.
- Sometimes older chickpeas or unsoaked chickpeas are too hard after cooking in the Instant Pot or stovetop pressure cooker. If this happens, replace the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for an additional 5 minutes. You can also simmer the chickpeas on sauté mode or medium-high heat on the stove.
- To make this recipe with canned chickpeas, reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes and use 1 cup of vegetable broth or water. Use 3 cans (4 ½ cups) of rinsed and drained chickpeas. Alternatively, consult the recipe for stovetop chana masala with cilantro sauce for more information.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Debra
My family loved this recipe. Thank you! We are living in our garage because our kitchen is getting redone. I’ve got my instant and with your recipes…I am thrilled to feed my family easy and HEALTHY meals.