This instant pot chana masala or chickpea curry recipe (garbanzo beans curry) is easy and you can make delicious chickpea curry in tomato onion gravy and spices which makes a great side dish with rice or enjoy it as a delicious side with chapathi or poori as you like.
This is an Indian style chickpea curry using popular tomato onion base for gravy and the curry is vegetarian as well as vegan chickpea curry which is totally delicious!
This instant pot chickpea curry recipe is also known as chole masala or chana masala in North Indian (known as kadala curry in South India including Kerala) where this is popularly served with bhatura or poori.
You can use dried chickpeas (which requires advanced soaking as I have done in this recipe) or you can use canned chickpeas which you can directly use in making the curry without soaking.
The base of this delicious and perfect chickpea curry or chickpea masala is onion tomato mixture blended with exotic spices.
You can see my best chana masala recipe (chickpea masala) in stove top method made in a similar fashion but the instant pot version is so much more easier to do though both the recipes are great.
Make sure to saute the onion tomato mixture until the raw taste and smell of onions are gone and the mixture starts separating from the oil, otherwise the flavor won’t be good.
The sauteed onion tomato mixture blended with spiced and cooked chickpeas makes this instant pot chickpea curry so delicious and you can prepare this curry so easily using the instant pot.
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So here is how you can make this easy and delicious chickpea curry/garbanzo beans curry following this easy instant pot chickpea curry recipe.
Instant Pot Chana Masala
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried chickpeas
- 2 medium sized tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons marinara sauce optional
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 3 green chilies
- ¼ teaspoon salt adjust as needed
- 2 tablespoons oil use more if needed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 red chilies dried broken
- 4 cups water
- extra water as needed for soaking the dried chickpeas
Spice Powders
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
For garnishing
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves optional
Instructions
- Wash and soak the dry chickpeas in enough water (the chickpeas will double in size as they are soaked for hours) for about 8 hours of time or overnight for best results.
- Drain the water from the soaked chickpeas, rinse again in fresh water and keep this aside.
- Wash and peel the onions, roughly chop the onions, keep aside.
- Peel the garlic cloves and also peel the ginger, keep the peeled ginger and garlic cloves aside with the onions.
- Wash and chop the tomatoes, keep the chopped tomatoes also aside with the onions, garlic and ginger.
- Transfer the onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes to a food process and also add the green chilies and marinara sauce (if using) to the food processor.
- Grind the onion tomato mixture to make a coarse mixture (no need to make a smooth paste), if needed you may use very little water. Keep the onion tomato mixture aside.
- Add the oil to the inner pot of instant pot and press the saute function, adjust to low setting.
- Add the cumin seeds and lightly fry.
- When the cumin seeds are lightly fried, also add the broken dried red chilies and lightly fry.
- Add the onion tomato mixture to the pot very gently and carefully (be very careful while adding the mixture to the hot oil to avoid any splatter of oil), and stir using a good spatula.
- Add the salt, mix together and saute for another 12 minutes or until the onion tomato mixture starts leaving the from the sides of the pot separating from the oil. While sauteing the mixture, you will need to stir in between to avoid the mixture sticking at the bottom of the pot and if needed you may add a little more oil to make the process easier.
- Once the onion tomato mixture is sauteed in the oil, add the spice powders - turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin seeds powder and garam masala powder, mix well and saute for another 1 minute.
- Add the chickpeas and enough salt also to the pot and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the water, mix well and press the 'keep warm/cancel' button so the saute function will stop.
- Close the pot with lid in sealing position and press manual, cook in high pressure for 12 minutes. The pot will take a few minutes to build up the pressure and start cooking. Once the cooking is done, the pot will beep so you will need to wait until then.
- Once the cooking is done and the pot beeps, press the 'keep warm/cancel' button and wait for a natural pressure release which will take another few minutes of time.
- Once the pressure is all naturally released, carefully open the lid of the pot by turning to venting position and stir the curry. If desired, you may simmer the curry for another couple of minutes to reduce the gravy a bit, by pressing the saute function and simmering in 'medium' (use the adjust button to select) for about 2 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves if using, serve hot with rice, chapathi, poori or bhatura!
Notes
Nutrition
More Pictures From The Preparation Of Instant Pot Chickpea Curry/Indian Chana Masala
Hope you found this post on instant pot chickpea curry recipe helpful in making easy and delicious Indian style chole masala or chana masala (chickpea masala) using instant pot.
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