This instant pot chana masala will become your new go-to favorite! As a matter of fact, it is the easiest and best chole recipe I’ve made in a pressure cooker. Here white chickpeas are cooked in medium spicy, flavorful onion-tomato gravy.
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What Is Chana Masala?
- Chana translates to chickpeas and masala meaning a Punjabi gravy made from onion, tomato and spices.
- This is a classic Punjabi, North Indian dish that is served with bhatura, paratha, puri or simply pair with plain rice or jeera rice.
- Chana masala is also known as chole.
- Traditionally, chole recipe is made in two steps. First, soak and boil the chickpeas. Second, make gravy and mix in with cooked chickpeas.
- But today, we are cooking everything together in instant pot. Here onion, and tomato is sauteed with spices first, soaked chickpeas are added and pressure cooked.
❤️ You'll Love This Instant Pot Chana Masala
Taste & texture: Even though this is instant pot chana masala, we are not compromising on taste at all. It tastes delicious with medium spicy, tangy, flavorful thick gravy. And yes, chole is cooked to perfection, super soft and melt-in-your-mouth kind.
Easy to make: Yes, this chana masala is a one-pot dish unlike the traditional method. Just add the ingredients one-by-one (in the right order) and let the instant pot do its job. No need to count whistles (like we do in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker) and no need to worry about stirring to avoid sticking to the pan.
Is it quick to make? NO. It takes about the same time as it is made on the stovetop. The only difference is when made on the stovetop all the time is active and you have to stay there. Vs in instant pot chana masala, you set the timer on and rest time is passive (you can do other stuff)
🧾 Ingredient Notes
Here is the pic of the ingredients used in making instant pot chana masala. All the ingredients are easily available and very basic. Please read a few notes mentioned below about some of these.
- Chickpeas: I always prefer to use dry beans (just like mom and grandmoms were doing). But you can use canned chickpeas. See the detailed instructions below in the FAQ section.
- Whole spices (bay leaf, cloves, black cardamoms): It adds a nice aroma to the dish. While serving discard the whole spices.
- To infuse the oil with whole spices and to make it aromatic, always add whole spices into the hot oil (not warm or cold oil).
- Anardana powder (dry pomegranate seeds powder): It adds a nice tangy (chatpata) taste. In the absence of it, you can add a few drops of lemon/lime juice at the end.
- Chole masala (chana masala powder): I have used a store-bought one (MDH brand). Instead you can just use regular garam masala.
- Amchur (dried mango powder): It adds a nice sour taste. Instead, you can use lemon/lime juice. Or you can use a little tamarind paste.
👩🍳 How To Make Instant Pot Chana Masala?
Soaking Chickpeas:
1) Take dried chickpeas in a colander and wash under running cold water until water runs clear. Soak in enough water (2-3 inches above the chickpeas) for at least 8 hours or overnight.
2) After the soaking time, they get doubled in the size. Drain and discard the soaking water.
Making Instant Pot Chole:
1) Turn on the instant pot with sauté mode. Once hot add oil and whole spices (bay leaf, black cardamoms and cloves). Saute for 30-40 seconds or until you get a nice aroma of the spices.
2) Add chopped onions, sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process.
3) Saute until onions become light pink or translucent and soft. It takes about 2-3 minutes.
4) Add ginger paste, garlic paste and chopped green chilies. Mix and saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
5) Add pureed tomatoes and mix.
6) Cook until all the moisture evaporates and becomes a thick paste. It takes around 5-7 minutes.
7) Add remaining salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and anardana powder.
8) Mix well and saute for 30 seconds.
9) Add soaked chickpeas.
10) Add water and stir in to mix everything.
11) Cover the instant pot with lid, keep the vent to sealing. Cancel the saute mode and cook on manual (high pressure) for 35 minutes.
12) Once it beeps, let it NPR (natural pressure release). Once the pin drops, open the lid. Add amchur and chole masala powder.
13) Mix well, garnish with cilantro (optional) and it is ready to serve.
💭 Expert Tips
- Forgot to soak the beans? Quick soaking method: Take beans and plenty of water in a pan. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the stove and cover tightly with a lid. Let it sit for 1 hour. Voila, after 1 hour your beans are at the same stage where you have after overnight soaking.
- Thicken the gravy: If the gravy looks watery, you can turn the saute mode on and let the gravy simmer for few minutes or until you get the desired consistency. You can mash few chickpeas with the back of the spatula to thicken the gravy. But if you have followed the water ratio as mentioned, you won’t have a watery gravy issue.
- Add chana masala powder after pressure cooking. It is important when you add the chana masala powder. If added before then it loses its flavor and aroma while pressure cooking. So always add after cooking.
Reduce the spice level:
- Discard the seeds and veins of the green chilies before chopping. If you don’t want to bite into chilies then slit the chili into half and add. Discard at the time of serving.
- Red chili powder: Reduce the amount of it. Or use the Kashmiri red chili powder which adds nice color but doesn’t add heat.
How to make instant pot chana masala with canned chickpeas?
- Reduce the amount of water to ½ cup, add drained canned chickpeas. Cook on manual (LOW Pressure) for 5 minutes only. Do QPR after 5 minutes.
- Every brand of canned chickpeas has different softness. Check yours by pressing between thumb and finger. And adjust the pressure cooking time accordingly.
- If the chickpeas are really soft to begin with then no need to pressure cook. Just simmer for 5 minutes and you’re done.
🍽 Serving Ideas For Chana Masala
- Meal idea 1: This can be served with Indian bread like paratha, poori or bhatura. Serve Indian onion salad or pickle on the side.
- Meal idea 2: This can be served with steamed plain rice or jeera rice. Serve roasted papad and kachumber salad on the side for some crunch.
Check Out Other Indian Instant Pot Recipes
Did you try this chana masala recipe in instant pot? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.
📋 Recipe Card
Instant Pot Chana Masala (Chole)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dried white chickpeas (Chole or kabuli chana or safed chana)
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 Cloves
- 2 Black cardamom
- 1 medium or ¾ cup Red onion chopped finely
- 2 teaspoons Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 2 teaspoons Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 1 Green chili finely chopped
- 2 medium or 1 cup Tomato ,Pureed
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 2 teaspoon Chana masala powder or ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoon Anardana powder (dried pomegranate seeds powder)
- 1 ½ cups Water
- ½ teaspoon Amchur powder (dried mango powder)
- Cilantro or coriander leaves chopped for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Take dried chickpeas in a colander and wash under running cold water until water runs clear. Soak in enough water (2-3 inches above the chickpeas) for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- After the soaking time, they get doubled in the size. Drain and discard the soaking water.
- Turn on the instant pot with saute mode. Once hot add oil and whole spices (bay leaf, black cardamoms and cloves). Saute for 30-40 seconds or until you get a nice aroma of the spices.
- Add chopped onions, sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process. Saute until onions become light pink or translucent and soft. It takes about 2-3 minutes.
- Add ginger paste, garlic paste and chopped green chilies. Mix and saute for a minute or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Add pureed tomatoes and mix. Cook until all the moisture evaporates and becomes a thick paste. It takes around 5-7 minutes.
- Add remaining salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and anardana powder. Mix well and saute for 30 seconds.
- Add soaked chickpeas and water, stir in to mix everything.
- Cover the instant pot with lid, keep the vent to sealing. Cancel the saute mode and cook on manual (high pressure) for 25 minutes.
- Once it beeps, let it NPR (natural pressure release). If in the rush, then let it NPR for 10 minutes and then do QPR (quick pressure release). Once the pin drops, open the lid.
- Add amchur and chole masala powder. Mix well and it is ready to serve.
Notes
- Discard the seeds and veins of the green chilies before chopping. If you don’t want to bite into chilies then slit the chili into half and add. Discard at the time of serving.
- Red chili powder: Reduce the amount of it. Or use the Kashmiri red chili powder which adds nice color but doesn’t add heat. Quick soaking method: Take beans and plenty of water in a pan. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Then turn off the stove and cover tightly with a lid. Let it sit for 1 hour. Voila, after 1 hour your beans are at the same stage where you have after overnight soaking. Thicken the gravy: If the gravy looks watery, you can turn the saute mode on and let the gravy simmer for few minutes or until you get the desired consistency. You can mash few chickpeas with the back of the spatula to thicken the gravy. Add chana masala powder after pressure cooking to retain its flavor and aroma. How to make it with canned chickpeas? Reduce the amount of water to ½ cup, add drained canned chickpeas. Cook on manual (LOW Pressure) for 5 minutes only. Do QPR after 5 minutes.
- Every brand of canned chickpeas has different softness. Check yours by pressing between thumb and finger. And adjust the pressure cooking time accordingly.
- If the chickpeas are really soft to begin with then no need to pressure cook. Just simmer for 5 minutes and you’re done.
Jigna
If I double the amount of chana, do I cook for longer? Do I put in more water?
Kanan Patel
Cooking time will be same. Only thing you will notice that it takes little more time to come to pressure.
Yes add total 2 cups of water
Jigna
Thank you! And what can I use if I dont have the amchur powder and pomegranate powder? Lime?
Kanan Patel
Yes lime or lemon juice