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Chana masala is a tomato-based Indian chickpea curry served with rice or flatbread. It’s vegetarian/vegan and gluten-free, and this quick Instant Pot chana masala is an easy dinner recipe for busy weeknights. If you’d like to try an easy Indian recipe for kids, chana masala is a perfect starting point. Keep scrolling for the whole recipe!
Indian food is amazing. I’m probably biased – growing up, I ate Indian food probably 6 days a week. Still, the flavors and textures are so fresh and vibrant. It’s one of my favorite reasons to visit India!
My family is from South India – land of dosas and idlis and thick stews. We often attended Indian cultural events, though, most of which were potluck. Chana masala, or Indian chickpea curry, which hails from Northern India, was a very popular offering. As I grew older, my mom began to incorporate some of these dishes from other parts of India into our home cooking. This chickpea curry was a favorite with the whole house. And while it’s vegetarian, this Instant Pot chana masala is hearty enough that even meat eaters will love it.
Instant Pot Chana Masala
Indian food can take a long time to cook – this Indian chickpea curry traditionally simmers for several hours on the stove. With 5 kids, work, school, and activities, though, I rarely have time to babysit a pot of beans. I’d made (and loved) the Smitten Kitchen version for years but wanted something even simpler, something I could throw together and that would be waiting, warm, after baseball or music lessons.
If you’re looking for an easy dinner recipe, this Instant Pot chana masala comes together in a flash, and is healthy to boot. And most importantly, it’s delicious. Indian chickpea curry is also easy to prepare as mild or as spicy as you’d like, so it’s perfect Indian recipe for kids. And with all that time you saved, you can enjoy a virtual tour of India with kids over some mango lassis!
Instant Pot Chana Masala Recipe (Indian Chickpea Curry)
Indian Chickpea Curry Recipe (Chana Masala)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 t ground ginger
- 4 t ground cumin
- 4 t ground coriander
- 2 t ground turmeric
- 2 t garam masala
- 2 t paprika I like to use smoked paprika
- 1 t salt
- 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
- 2 c dried chickpeas
- 2 c water
- 3 T lemon juice
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot on sauté setting and add oil. When hot, add onions. Cook until translucent, stirring often.
- Add garlic and cook for another minute until golden.
- Pour in all the spices and toast for about 1 minute, stirring. Do not let burn.
- Include tomatoes and dried chickpeas and stir until well coated.
- Pour in water and change setting to manual high pressure. Make sure vent is sealed and set to cook for 50 minutes.
- Release pressure manually when done cooking, and add lemon juice and additional salt if needed. Eat with rice or flatbread (naan, roti, and poori are all good choices). Curry will be even better the next day (should it last that long), and also freezes well.
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Hi! British person over here not understanding your metrics for measurement. Is t a teaspoon, T a tablespoon and c a cup? Thanks!
Yes, that’s correct! t = teaspoon, T = Tablespoon, c = cup. Enjoy!
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Excited to try this! If you were to use canned chickpeas, do you know how long you would cook it in the IP for?
So sorry for the delay! If using canned chickpeas, I’d probably cook for 20 minutes or so in the IP. Good luck!!
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