Cilantro or coriander leaveschopped 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
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.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.