Instant Pot Indian Chickpea/Chole Recipe
February 10, 2021
Instant Pot Indian Chickpea/Chole Recipe
Best Instant pot Indian Chole/Chana Masala/Chickpea vegan recipe. Spicy and mouth watering recipe to wow your family and friends.
Equipment
- Instant pot
Ingredients
- 12 oz Chick Peas
- 2 cups Water
- 3 tbsp hot Giardiniera
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 3 green chilis (sliced in half)
- 2 cups sliced onion
- 3 chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- cilantro (Garnishing)
Dry Spices
- 1 tbsp salt to taste
- 1/2 tbsp cayenne/Red pepper
- 1 tbsp amchur powder/Lemon juice
- 1 tbsp chaat Masala adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp cumin powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 3 cay leaves
Notes
What is Chana Masala or Chole?
Chole or Chana Masala is a popular Indian/Pakistani dish. This one-pot recipe is easy to make and you can wow anyone with it including yourself. The authentic Chana Masala can be made in the Instant Pot, regular pot, or stovetop Pressure Cooker. This is a healthy protein-rich vegan and gluten-free chickpea recipe. My husband is from Lahore and he grew up eating this but it's completely different from what my taste buds are used to. In fact, I made up this recipe. Like most of my Indian/Pakistani recipes here, won't be traditional. The reason being, I love Indian/Pakistani food but what I dislike about it is that it has more oil than necessary which leads to high cholesterol issues later in life. You will notice through my recipes that I eliminate any box Masala (other than Chaat Masala, I love that one) and make it all at home. If you have a food processer you can pretty much make all the dry spices at home. It's cost-effective and healthier in the long run. This restaurant-style Chole or Chana Masala is great with Rice or Roti/Naan. I actually just eat it on its own because that's how I grew up eating it. My husband ate it as his breakfast with a Puri which is thinner than a Naan and Roti. It is a very versatile dish. Usually, Chole is pressure-cooked separately and then you add the Masala in it. But, since I make it in Instapot I like to cook the Masala aka the onion and tomato paste with spices in it first then add the chole in it. Usually, I set a timer and hit the gym. By the time I come back the paste is ready. I add the chickpeas to the pot and hop in the shower, and by the time I am out, the whole house smells like I spent hours in the kitchen. This recipe in Instant Pot is a game-changer.
How to make Chole/Chana Masala in Instant Pot?
Let's get right to it! This is crucial if you are not using canned Chickpeas. Soak the chickpeas overnight or at least for 6 hours. I use canned chickpeas because I grew up eating them and I do not get an upset stomach. If you do, then I would definitely recommend getting the dry chickpeas in the bag and soaking them overnight.- Select the sauté mode. Add 3 tbsp of olive oil (or whatever oil you prefer). Add ginger-garlic paste (2 generous tbsp). Salt, Cayenne pepper, or Paprika, Cumin, Coriander, Shan Chaat Masala, Bay leaves, and 3 tbsp of hot giardiniera peppers.
- Add chopped onions and sauté for about 3 minutes. After the onion is all mixed in with the spices then add the tomato and 2 cups of water. Stir in the chickpeas.
- At this time switch the instant pot setting to manual mode for 30 minutes. Seal the vent at this point. I usually let the pressure release naturally. If the pressure does not release in 15 - 20 minutes, manually release the pressure.
- I like the consistency to be a little liquidy since I freeze my food for weeks. It may get a little dry and the chickpeas crack. The taste is not altered but I am a picky eater. I also like it to be liquidy because I eat it with rice and it feels like a curry.
- If you like the sauce to be thicker then you can add some potatoes in it or just mash the chole itself.
- Now my favorite part... almost the end. Add some dried fenugreek, dry mango powder (amchur). If you don't have dry mango powder
(amchur), replace it with lemon juice. - Garnish with fresh cilantro. If you don't have fresh cilantro then use dry cilantro. Now time to dig in!! Serve this delicious Indian chole with Naan, Roti, Rice, or by itself.
How to make a Dump & Go Chana Masala?
Now that I have made this recipe countless times, I have it down to the T. My parents used to love this when I made it for them. This was part of my meal prep with Indian-style quinoa. Let me tell you my secret "Lazy method" or "I need to hit the gym method". Lately, I have been making Chole by just adding all the ingredients at once to the Instant pot and pressure cooking everything. It's surprising how well this method of dump-and-go works. The taste is not compromised if you are on a time crunch. The results are amazing, give it a try if you are in a rush!Frequently Asked Questions About The Recipe
How to reduce the spice level? Skip the Indian green chili (Indian green chili hits different if you are not used to it). I learned this the hard way. This was one of the few dishes I made when I newly got married. My husband very nicely told me he had diarrhea for two days because of the spice level. So I had to reduce it for him.
Can I cook chickpeas without soaking?
ahh! In a perfect world, you want to soak chickpeas for 6+ hours or overnight. This makes them absorb water and it's much faster to cook. However, if you forget...then pressure cook it for longer by twice the time. For about 50-60 mins.
Another trick I learned because adulting is hard. Boil the water in your tea kettle and soak the chickpeas in hot water for about an hour. Then rinse and use it!
Can I use canned Chickpeas?
Yes!!! I use canned chickpeas. This reduces the cooking time and uses less water. You may be a little bloated if you are not used to it but it will be worth it.
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Until next post. <3
XOXO Samiya
