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    Home » Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Kala Chana

    Published: Jan 21, 2021 · Last Modified: Feb 2, 2021 by Kanan Patel / 14 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Instant pot kala chana pin.

    Flavorful, Punjabi style kala chana masala made in instant pot with onion, tomato, basic Indian spices and a drizzle of lime juice at the end. 

    This makes a super healthy and satisfying vegetarian dinner when served with piping hot rice! If you’re lucky to have any leftovers, it will make filling lunch the next day too! 

    Kala chana served in a white bowl with a garnish of cilantro leaf with napkin and limes, rice on side.
    Jump to:
    • ❤️You’ll Love This Recipe
    • 🧾Ingredient Notes
    • 🎥Watch The Recipe Video
    • 👩‍🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions 
    • 🍽 Serving Ideas
    • FAQs
    • 📋 Recipe Card
    • ⭐ Reviews

    ❤️You’ll Love This Recipe

    - This makes a delicious and protein-packed vegetarian meal. Usually served with rice or roti. 

    - Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free. 

    - It requires some preplanning like soaking the black chickpeas ahead of time. But when you have soaked kala chana ready, it’s very easy to make.

    - This instant pot kala chana requires 30 mins of pressure cooking time, plus some more time for your instant pot to come to pressure. But that is passive time. The active time required to prepare this kala chana masala is very little. 

    🧾Ingredient Notes

    Here is the pic of the ingredients required to make kala chana in instant pot. All of them are basic and easily available in your pantry if you’re cooking Indian food regularly. 

    Ingredients used in kala chana includes chana, onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chili, spices, oil, salt, cilantro and lime.

    Kala Chana (Black chickpeas): Dry chana are super hard (tiny rock-like). This must be soaked for at least 8 hours before cooking. I usually soak them before I go to bed and make the curry the next day. It is completely OK, if the soaking time exceeds 13-15 hours (no worries at all).

    I have seen many cook kala chana in instant pot without soaking. I have tried that but honestly, I do not like (prefer), as it requires around an hour of pressure cooking time. And that is too long for onion, tomato and spices. They will lose all the flavors and the end result is so bland.

    Plus, soaking makes the beans easy to digest and enables better absorption of nutrients.   

    Ginger, Garlic, Geen chili: Nowadays I use my wet jar of spice grinder to crush them together quickly. Otherwise, I would use ginger garlic paste and finely chopped green chilies. Or sometimes I would just grate ginger garlic using a micro plane zester.

    Lime juice: I prefer lime over lemon juice in my Indian cooking. You can use any. 

    Tomato puree: I have blended fresh tomatoes until it becomes a smooth puree. Personally, I do not prefer the canned tomato puree.  

    🎥Watch The Recipe Video

    👩‍🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions 

    Pre-Plan: Wash the kala chana under running cold water or rinse them 2-3 times until the water is not cloudy anymore. Then soak in enough water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Then discard the soaking water.

    1) Turn the instant pot on with saute mode. Once hot add oil and cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds sizzle a bit and then add onion and crushed ginger, garlic, green chili. Sprinkle a pinch of salt to speed up the cooking process.

    2) Mix and saute for 3-4 minutes or until onion becomes soft and there is no more raw smell of ginger garlic.

    3) Add pureed tomato and mix.

    4) Let it cook for 4-5 minutes or until it thickens slightly and not much watery.

    Collage of 4 steps showing cooking onion, adding tomato puree and simmering.

    5) Now add remaining salt and spice powders (turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder).

    6) Mix really well.

    7) Add soaked kala chana and fresh water. Stir well so everything is combined well. Cover the instant pot with a lid (make sure the valve is on a sealing position). Cancel the saute mode and pressure cook (manual, high pressure) for 30 minutes. 

    8) Let it NPR (natural pressure release) if you have time. If in rush then let it NPR for 10 minutes and then QPR (quick pressure release) by pressing the valve or changing the valve position. Once the pin drops open the lid. Add garam masala and squeeze the lime juice.

    9) Finally, add chopped cilantro.

    10) Mix everything well and kala chana masala is ready. 

    Collage of 6 steps showing adding spices, mixed, adding soaked chana, water, adding lime juice, cilantro and ready chana.

    🍽 Serving Ideas

    This instant pot kala chana can be served with steamed basmati rice with a side of kachumber salad (or sliced onions) and papad.

    It can be served with roti or paratha as well with your choice of side (salad, chaas, pickle, papad, chutney) to make it a complete meal.

    FAQs

    How to make this in a stovetop pressure cooker?

    Follow the same method with the following changes.
    - Add ¼ cup of more water.
    - Pressure cook on high heat for 2 whistles, then lower heat to med-low and cook for 30 minutes.

    Can I make this with frozen (pre-made) onion tomato masala?

    Yes, absolutely. That is such a time-saver. 
    - Skip onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chili, turmeric powder from the list. 
    - Use ¾ cups of frozen masala.
    - Reduce the amount of chili powder and coriander powder by half. 

    Kala chana masala served over a bowl of rice with side of sliced onions and lime wedge.

    Check Out Similar Instant Pot Recipes

    • Instant pot lentil curry
    • Instant pot toor dal
    • Instant pot chana masala
    • Instant pot rajma
    • Instant pot dal makhani

    PS Tried this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback! Plus, Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest updates.

    📋 Recipe Card

    Step by Step Photos AboveWant to make it perfect first time? Don't forget to check out Step-by-Step photo instructions and helpful Tips & Tricks !!
    Kala chana served in a white bowl with a garnish of cilantro leaf with napkin and limes, rice on side.
    Print Pin Save Saved!

    Instant Pot Kala Chana

    4.75 from 4 votes
    Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and/or give ★ ratings
    Flavorful, Punjabi style instant pot kala chana masala makes a super healthy and satisfying vegetarian dinner when served with piping hot rice! If you’re lucky to have any leftovers, it will make filling lunch the next day too!
    Author: Kanan
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: North Indian
    Calories: 251kcal
    Servings 4
    Prep Time 8 hours
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes
    US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml) See details

    Ingredients  

    • 1 cup Dry Kala chana (black chickpeas or desi chana)
    • 2 tablespoons Oil
    • ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
    • 1 medium or ¾ cups Red onion finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
    • 1 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
    • 1 Green chili finely chopped
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 medium Tomatoes pureed
    • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
    • 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
    • 1 ½ cups Water for pressure cooking
    • ½ teaspoon Garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon Lime juice or lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves finely chopped

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    Instructions 

    • Pre-Plan: Wash the kala chana under running cold water or rinse them 2-3 times until the water is not cloudy anymore. Then soak in enough water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Then discard the soaking water.
    • Turn the instant pot on with saute mode. Once hot add oil and cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds sizzle a bit.
    • Add onion and crushed ginger, garlic, green chili. Sprinkle a pinch of salt to speed up the cooking process.
    • Mix and saute for 3-4 minutes or until onion becomes soft and there is no more raw smell of ginger garlic.
    • Add pureed tomato and mix. Let it cook for 4-5 minutes or until it thickens slightly and not much watery.
    • Now add remaining salt and spice powders (turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder). Mix really well.
    • Add soaked kala chana and fresh water. Stir well so everything is combined well. Cover the instant pot with a lid (make sure the valve is on the sealing position). Cancel the saute mode and pressure cook (manual, high pressure) for 30 minutes.
    • Let it NPR (natural pressure release) if you have time. If in rush then let it NPR for 10 minutes and then QPR (quick pressure release) by pressing the valve or changing the valve position. Once the pin drops open the lid.
    • Add garam masala, squeeze the lime juice and chopped cilantro. Mix everything well and kala chana masala is ready.

    Notes

    How to make this in a stovetop pressure cooker?
    • Follow the same method with the following changes.
    • Add ¼ cup of more water.
    • Pressure cook on high heat for 2 whistles, then lower heat to med-low and cook for 30 minutes.
    Can I make this with frozen (pre-made) onion tomato masala?
    • Yes, absolutely. That is such a time-saver.
    • Skip onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, green chili, turmeric powder from the list.
    • Use ¾ cups of frozen masala.
    • Reduce the amount of chili powder and coriander powder by half.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 366mg | Potassium: 496mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 633IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 3mg
    *Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving
    Did you make this recipe?Snap a pic, mention @spice.up.the.curry or tag #spiceupthecurry. I would love to see.

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    1. Divya

      January 30, 2021 at 12:42 pm

      Hi!
      I followed your recipe and it turned out really delicious.
      Thank you!
      Also how do you like the wet and dry grinder. I have the Revel one and its not working well so been looking to get a new one.

      Reply
      • Kanan Patel

        February 02, 2021 at 1:39 pm

        Glad that chana came out good.
        I recommend that. I use the wet one almost everyday to coarsely grind ginger garlic chilies. I use that if I have to make a puree of just one tomato to make small amount of gravy. It makes really smooth puree.
        The dry one I use it once a month to make garam masala and other spice powders.

        Reply
    2. ALEENA

      June 04, 2016 at 3:09 am

      THANK YOU FOR YOUR RECIPE,
      I LOVED IT4 stars

      Reply
      • Kanan

        June 04, 2016 at 7:59 am

        Glad that you liked.

        Reply
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    Hi, I'm Kanan Patel. I share easy, delicious vegetarian recipes (mostly Indian) and Eggless baking recipes that you can sure count on!

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