An easy Instant Pot recipe for a popular Indian spiced chickpea curry called Chana Masala. This hearty curry is made of chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, cooked in an onion-tomato gravy, seasoned with warm Indian spices.
Enjoy this delicious vegan & gluten-free curry with cumin rice or butter naan.
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What is Chana Masala?
Chana means "chickpeas" in Hindi, and masala literally means "spiced", so Chana Masala refers to a spiced chickpeas curry.
Chana masala is a protein and fiber-packed, vegan, and gluten-free curry made with chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. Its worldwide popularity makes it a must-have at Indian restaurants.
It's a hearty North-Indian curry in which chickpeas are cooked in a Punjabi-style onion-tomato gravy, and spiced with commonly used aromatic spices such as garam masala, coriander, and cumin.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's an easy Instant Pot recipe for a restaurant-style curry in roughly an hour, most of which is hands-off pressure cooking time.
- You can use dried or canned chickpeas/garbanzo. To suit your convenience, I've included instructions for soaked as well as unsoaked beans.
- It's a very tasty way of incorporating beans into your meal plan. And a definite winner if you're venturing into a vegan diet.
Need more creative recipes for beans? Here's a collection of Instant Pot Beans Recipes.
Let's get started with this Instant Pot Chana Masala recipe!
Ingredients - Notes & Substitutions
The recipe is made with easily available ingredients and commonly used Indian spices. You can find them at your local Indian store, ethnic food aisle in a large supermarket, or online.
Chickpeas: I use dry chickpeas that have been soaked overnight. You can also use unsoaked chickpeas or canned chickpeas (cooking time adjustments included).
Oil: I prefer to make this curry with any neutral oil like olive oil or avocado. Feel to use ghee or butter if you like.
Cumin seeds: Toasting cumin seeds in hot oil adds a sweet-earthy flavor to the curry.
Aromatics: Chopped onion, Serrano chili, ginger, and garlic form the base of the curry here.
Finely chopped onion and chili by hand, or pulse them fine in a mini food processor. Remove the seeds and ribs of Serrano chili for mild flavors. Alternatively, use a jalapeno pepper.
I prefer to make fresh ginger-garlic paste, or you can use the frozen paste as well.
Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes are best for this curry but you can also use 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes.
Spices: Salt, turmeric and red chili powder are standard spices that I use in most Indian curries.
Garam masala, coriander, and cumin powder, and kasoori methi provide the authentic and bold taste and mango powder gives it a slight tart flavor.
I also use fennel powder (optional) which adds flavor and aids digestion.
Water: I follow a 1:2 ratio of beans to water, but you can add more to suit your preference.
Garnish: Fresh cilantro adds the perfect herby finish to the curry. I like to squeeze a few drops of lime or lemon juice, or add chaat masala to brighten up the flavors, but that is optional.
Scroll to the recipe card for a detailed list of ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Chana Masala
Let's look at the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make chana masala in Instant Pot:
Prepare Beans: Soak dried chickpeas in water overnight, or for about 10 hours. You can skip this step if using canned or precooked chickpeas. If using canned beans, rinse and drain them.
Alternatively, you can cook a batch of plain chickpeas ahead of time using this easy Instant Pot Chickpeas recipe.
Saute Onions: Heat oil on saute mode (high), add cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle. Next, add onions and cook them until they get transluscent, about 3-4 minutes. (pic 1 & 2)
Add aromatics and spices: Now add in ginger, garlic, green chilies and cook another minute. Tomatoes and spices go in next along with a few tablespoons of water to deglaze the pot. Cancel Saute. (pic 2, 3, 4)
Pressure Cook: Add the drained chickpeas and freshwater. Close the lid and pressure cook for 45 minutes. (pic 5, 6 & 7)
Release Pressure: After pressure cooking wait for the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, and then carefully release the remaining pressure. Open the lid after the pin drops.
Thicken Curry: Using a potato masher, mash a few beans. This makes the curry creamier naturally. You can also cook it down on saute mode.
Garnish: Squeeze fresh lemon juice, or add chaat masala to finish this curry. Stir in chopped cilantro and enjoy. (pic 8)
Serving Suggestions
Here are some of my favorite ways to serve healthy Chana Masala:
Rice: I like to serve chana with cumin rice (jeera rice). You can also switch that with brown basmati rice to increase the fiber content of your meal. If you prefer plain white rice instead, check out this evergreen steamed basmati rice recipe.
Flatbreads: To enjoy a restaurant-style spread, serve this with garlic naan or butter naan. You can also serve this with homemade roti or paratha.
Side Dishes: For a complete a homestyle meal, add a side of crunchy cucumber raita or boondi raita . To add a vegetable side dish, try bhindi masala or aloo gobi.
Fusion: Switch up your menu and serve Chana Masala Tacos with a fresh cucumber salsa.
Low-Carb: If you're following a low-carb diet, you can cut out the carbs from rice since chickpeas are already high in carbs. Serve them with cauliflower rice instead.
How to Store & Freeze
Store chana masala in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
You can freeze it in a freezer-safe container or food storage bag for up to a month. To reuse, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Spices: If you're using ready-made chole masala powder instead of the listed spices, add about 1-1.5 tablespoon. If it contains salt, add only 1 tablespoon.
- Fennel Powder: I like to add fennel powder since it helps in the digestion of beans and legumes, but it is optional.
- Make it in 30 minutes: To make Chana Masala in 30-minutes, use canned chickpeas.
- Canned beans: If using canned chickpeas, use 2 cans for this recipe. You may have to reduce the salt considering canned chickpeas are already salted.
- Releasing pressure: For best results, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes.
- Thicken the curry: To make this curry creamy naturally, use a potato masher and mash a few beans in the pot. Additionally, you can simmer it on saute mode until it thickens to your liking.
- Finishing touches: A few drops of lime juice towards the end makes this curry pop and it enhances the taste. This is totally optional though.
Frequently Asked Questions
Garam masala is a ground Indian spice mix containing whole warm spices like coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and cardamom, just to name a few. Most chana masala spice blends contain garam masala spices along with dry mango powder for tartness.
Chana masala tastes creamy from the chickpeas with hints of tartness from the dry mango powder.
Chana masala spice mix is made of garam masala spices including coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and fennel, along with dry mango powder, and dry fenugreek leaves.
No, it's not. Masala is a common term that refers to a curry of some sort. While chana masala refers to chickpeas cooked in an onion-tomato gravy, tikka masala most often refers to grilled protein simmered in a spiced tomato sauce.
While chana masala is a curry made with an onion-tomato gravy, Chole gravy is made with very little to no tomatoes. The prominent tart flavors in chole are achieved by adding tamarind or pomegranate seed powder.
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📖 Recipe
Chana Masala
Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry chickpeas rinsed and soaked in 4 cups water, for 8-10 hours (see notes for unsoaked or canned)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste 1 inch ginger
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste 3-4 cloves
- 1 cup onion finely chopped (1 medium)
- 2 serrano chillies for mild spice, de-seed and remove ribs
- 2 roma tomato Deseeded and finely chopped, or 1 cup diced tomatoes
Spices
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 2-3 teaspoons garam masala adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or paprika
- ½ teaspoon fennel powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon amchur (mango powder) or lime/ lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon fenugreek leaves kasoori methi
- 2 cups water add more depending on your consistency preference
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice or ½ teaspon chaat masala (optional)
Instructions
Soak Dried Chickpeas or Use Canned
- Rinse and soak dry chickpeas in about 4 cups water, overnight, or at least 8-10 hours. Drain and rinse them before cooking. Skip this step if using unsoaked chickpeas. If using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain them.
Saute and Pressure Cook
- Turn on Saute adjust it to high. Heat oil (or ghee) and add cumin seeds. When cumin begins to splutter, add onions and saute them for 3-4 minutes.
- Add ginger and garlic paste, along with green chilies, and saute for another minute. Now add all the spices with a few tablespoons of water. Use that to deglaze the pot and scrape off any brown bits stuck at the bottom. Cancel Saute.
- Add chickpeas, and water and give it a stir. Close the lid, vent set to 'sealing', and pressure cook for 45 minutes at Bean/Chili or Manual mode. If using unsoaked dry chickpeas, adjust the pressure cook time to 60 minutes. If using canned chickpeas, reduce the cooking time to 5 minutes.
- Once cooking time is up, wait for the pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes, followed by manual pressure release. Open the lid after the pin drops.
Finish and Serve
- Using a potato masher or a wooden spoon, mash a few beans. This makes the curry creamy and thick naturally. To thicken it more, simmer for a few minutes on saute mode.
- Garnish with cilantro and squeeze a few drops of lime or lemon juice. Serve with Puri, Naan, or Cumin rice!
Video
Notes
- Spices: If you don't have all the spices listed below, you can find ready-made chole masala powder in many stores and substitute about 1-1.5 tablespoon of that in this recipe. If it contains salt, add only 1 tablespoon.
- Make it in 30 minutes: To make Chana Masala in 30-minutes, use canned chickpeas.
- Canned beans: If using canned chickpeas, use 2 cans for this recipe. You may have to reduce the salt considering canned chickpeas are already salted.
- Releasing pressure: For best results, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes.
- Thicken the curry: To make this curry creamy naturally, use a potato masher and mash a few beans in the pot. As it sits for 5-10 minutes, the curry thickens and becomes creamy. You can also simmer it on saute mode until it thickens to your liking. Please know that the curry will also thicken as it cools.
- Finishing touches: A few drops of lime juice towards the end makes this curry pop and it enhances the taste. This is totally optional though.
- Cooking Time: The pressure cooking time has been updated to 45 minutes (from 35) to work consistently across different brands of dried chickpeas.
Cc says
If using canned puréed tomatoes, how much is equivalent to 2 Roma tomatoes?
Aneesha says
Hi CC, 1/2 cup should be good. Enjoy!
Kelly says
For any of your instapot recipes, can you also use a stove top pressure cooker and go by the same timing at high pressure?
Aneesha says
Hi Kelly, you can certainly use stovetop pressure cookers for these recipes, but depending on which model you're using, timing and setting may be slightly different.
Malcom Gunter says
Our favorite go-to recipe. Recently lost 40 lbs and your site was a blessing. I was diagnosed with borderline diabetes and a fatty liver. Hence your site being what we looked and cooked most of the time. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
Aneesha says
Hi Malcom, that's the sweetest comment ever! Thank you for your kind words, I'm so happy you're enjoying the recipes. And a big 'yeah' for the weight loss- that's awesome!
Jack says
This is the best food I've ever eaten .I love to eat this dish. It tastes great. I followed your recipe. It really works. I had a wonderful dinner. Thank you.
Aneesha says
Hi Jack, thank you for such a thoughtful comment, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
KLV says
Thanks for working this out for the IP! Wondering if there should be turmeric in the recipe card, however? It's noted twice in the narrative as integral to the dish but not included.
Aneesha says
Hi KLV, thanks for catching that. This recipe does take 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and I have updated the recipe accordingly. Thanks again, hope you enjoy it!
Beryl says
Can you mash chickpeas after cooking to make the gravy thicker?
Aneesha says
Hi Beryl, yes you can. In fact, that's what I suggest in the recipe too. Alternatively, you can simmer the curry for a few minutes on saute mode till it reduces to your liking. Enjoy!
Jimmy says
Hello Aneesha! Have been a great fan of your recipes. So tasty and came out great! Thank you much and keep sharing it.
Aneesha says
Hi Jimmy, thank you so much! Comments like yours make my day! Feel free to email or request for any specific recipe and I'll get to work 🙂 Thanks again!
Julie in British Columbia says
This is the first instant pot meal I've ever made! I followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious! I was worried the chickpeas wouldn't be soft enough - there is nothing more unappealing to me than firm chickpeas - but they were perfect! I did want mine a bit less liquidy so I also sauteed it for a few minutes after it was finished. So excited that I have leftovers for tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Aneesha says
Hi Julie, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
Savitri says
Delicious!!!
Made with 400 gram leftover cooked chickpeas.
After the high pressure cooking, I added 150 grams of very finely chopped spinach and also leftover white basmati rice from the refrigerator and briefly warmed on the sauté setting.
It was a perfect combination 😋😍😋😍.
Served with birambi chutney.
I used 1 red Spanish pepper instead of 2 green chilis because, according to recipe, I also used 1 teaspoon of kashmiri red chili pepper and estimated that it would be spicy enough for my 6 years old twin daughters.
And indeed they found it spicy enough.
Thank you Aneesha 👍.
Greetings from us 👩👧👧 from The Netherlands.
Aneesha says
So glad you all enjoyed it! You've really got me curious about Birambi chutney now, will have to make it soon :)Thanks again!
Savitri says
Yes I love Birambi chutney 😍😍😍😋😋😋
I have this: https://surinaamskokenmetjen.nl/surinaamseten-swietmoffo-surinaams-eten-top5/birambie-surinaams-eten-swietmoffo/
I love the birambi chutney from this brand.
I once tasted from another brand but it was not as good as this one.
That other brand also had mustard in it, and the chutney was more reddish in color.
The birambi I have is more yellow in color.
I called the manufacturer and it contains (yellow?) Madame Jeanette peppers, but no mustard.
It contains according to the label:
Birambi, fresh pepper, onions, garlic, curry, oil, salt, sugar, herbs, spices, E211.
I am curious about your birambi chutney recipe if you have come up with it and hope to see it on your site soon.
Aneesha says
Thanks for this information Savitri. It'll help me figure out authentic ingredients needed. Will keep you posted!
Alice says
I can't eat tomatoes, due to a sensitivity. Will this still be good if I leave them out or substitute something else?
Aneesha says
Hi Alice, no worries, skip them and add 2-3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar instead (or drizzle 1-2 tsp lemon juice after cooking). In this recipe, tomatoes add acidity and provide body to the sauce, so to get the sauce right, you may have to mash a few beans and stir in the sauce. Hope this help! Enjoy!
Alice says
Awesome, thanks!
Aneesha says
You're most welcome!
Charanya says
Hi Aneesha.. I followed the recipe but instead of chopped onions I made onion paste and made the chhole.
Chhole was cooked well but it had a horrible smell to it.. could it be because of the onion paste? I just blended the onions and used it. Please advice.
Aneesha says
Hi Charanya, yes, that's because of the onion paste. Onion paste retains an unpleasant raw smell and taste that's hard to get rid of even after cooking for long. If you try this recipe with chopped onions, you'll see for yourself!Hope you it enjoy it next time 🙂
Kelsey says
I have used this recipe in the instant pot and on the stove and it has become a staple. I make it at least once a month, love it!
Aneesha says
Hi Kelsey, thank you so much. I am glad you enjoy it so much. I hope you try some other Indian favorites, like Dal Makhani, Paneer Butter Masala, or another chickpeas favorite, Moroccan Chickpea Stew! Thanks again.
Kim says
After 35 minutes my chickpeas are still aldente. I soaked them overnight. Are my dried chickpeas old? I remember this same experience on the stovetop.
Aneesha says
Hi Kim, yes that is usually the reason. Id suggest putting them for another 10 mins. Chickpeas and red beans take much longer to cook as they get old. I've had the same problem with a batch. Make sure to add a little more water if it's all dried up, otherwise you'll get the burn sign. I'll make a note in the recipe.
Anne says
I made this yesterday and it turned out great. Great flavor and very tasty. After I opened up the pressure cooker it seemed too watery so I put the instant pot on sauté and boiled a bit of the liquid down. Other than that, I followed the recipe.
Aneesha says
Hi Anne, that's great! Thanks so much for sharing and rating the recipe! The consistency of the curry varies depending on what it is served with (naan/rice), so I reduce the sauce after cooking based on that! So glad you enjoyed it!
Jen in Colorado says
I followed instructions exactly but when I cooked for 35 minutes on “pressure cook” mode I noticed the instant pot said “burn” toward the end of cooking time. So I freaked out a little, shut it off and when I opened it up it was completely out of water but not yet burned. I tasted it and the dried smoked beans are not soft yet so I added 2 more cups of water and this time I put it on bean mode which is a set 30 minutes. While I was writing this review, the “burn” message came on again so I’m not sure what to do now. I soaked 1 cup of dried chickpeas overnight and drained well. Anyone else having this challenge?
Aneesha | Spice Cravings says
Hi Jen, sorry you had this experience. I would suggest to check your sealing ring. 2 cups of water is more than enough for this curry. If it gave you a burn sign towards the end, my best guess would be that it didn't seal all the way through, which is why those 2 cups probably evaporated due to that and that explains the beans not cooking through as well. Unfortunately some models have this issue, they start counting down even if the seal isn't a 100% correct. I've had that happen in some other recipes and each time it was the sealing ring issue.