Instant Pot Chana Masala is a way to get all of the rich, aromatic flavors you know and love in a traditional Chana Masala recipe in a fraction of the time.
Why You're Going To Love This Chana Masala Recipe
- Fast. Ok, so this isn't one of the quickest recipes I've ever created, but compared to how long it could take without the help of an Instant Pot, it's very fast.
- Easy. Use prepared Onion Masala to reduce the number of steps it takes to create a delicious Chana Masala.
- Authentic. This will make you feel like you're eating a delicious home-cooked meal in India.
- Vegetarian. This vegetarian recipe is absolutely packed with protein thanks to chickpeas, so it's a great meal option.
I call them homestyle because...well, they ARE homestyle which means they're not overly spiced, and they don't have that deep red color that restaurant chana do.
These taste like what my mom used to make, and she was Punjabi. She was also a very good cook, so that is good enough for me to try to replicate.
What Is Chana Masala?
Chana Masala is a wonderful, savory, vegetarian Indian dish made with chickpeas, and a classic sauce, or "gravy", made with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and a bunch of spices.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Dried Chickpeas
- Bay Leaves
- Onion masala
- Ghee
- Chana masala spice mix- You can omit this if you don't have it, although it really does add an authentic taste.
- Kosher Salt
- Amchoor- Use this if you have it, but if you don't you can also use the juice of a whole lemon, squeezed.
How To Make Chana Masala
The list of steps below may seem daunting at first glance, but I promise they are all extremely easy to follow and will save you an enormous amount of time compared to preparing traditional homemade Chana Masala.
Quick Soak and Cook the Chana
- I find it easier to quick soak the chana in hot water for an hour but if you're using an Instant Pot you can skip this step. In that case, you will need to add cooking time to compensate.
- Drain the water the chana is soaked in and put the chana in your Instant Pot along with 3 cups of water.
- Add the bay leaves and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes if you want it firm, or 20 minutes if you want a slightly creamy curry (I went with 20 minutes).
- Allow it to release pressure naturally.
- Open it up and drain the water, but save the water for now.
- Use a potato masher or something heavy and roughly mash about half the chana. You're doing this to thicken the final sauce. Use the chana mash to thicken.
- Set this aside.
Finishing the Chana
- Heat your pot or skillet and when it's hot, add the ghee and then add the Onion Masala you made earlier.
- Sauté until this is heated through, and then add 2 teaspoons of chana masala and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well.
- Add in your semi-mashed chana and some of the cooking water and heat through.
- Add lemon juice and taste to see if you need any more, or any additional salt.
Tips And Tricks
- Don't use cornstarch. Seriously, there's no need to. Simply mash half of the chickpeas to create a thick, delicious consistency.
- It's ok if you don't have all of the ingredients. I know that it can be difficult to find some of the ingredients in this dish in some areas, so I tried to provide substitutions or omissions for specialty ingredients where I could.
- Prep extra onion masala. You're going to love this recipe and want to eat it again soon, I guarantee it. Unfortunately, chickpeas aren't that resilient when stored after preparation. So, keep the onion masala in your fridge so you can quickly whip up another batch of chana masala in a flash.
What To Serve With It
Chana Masala is far from a low carb meal, so you may want to offset the heaviness of the dish with a cucumber salad or beet salad.
On the other hand, if you're serving this as a comfort meal and want to keep the sides authentic, it can be served with rice, naan, or chapati.
Even better? Serve a small portion of everything and enjoy the variety of flavors and textures for an incredible dining experience.
How Long Does It Last?
Chana Masala is best enjoyed within a few days of preparing it, especially if you prefer your chickpeas to have a bit more bite to them. Once the chickpeas sit in the curry inside the refrigerator, they become mushy and the texture quickly deteriorates.
Want More Indian Instant Pot Recipes?
- Instant Pot Butter Chicken
- Chicken Korman
- Chicken Vindaloo
- Instant Pot Chicken Biryani
- Lamb Rogan Josh
If you love this Instant Pot Chana Masala recipe as much as we do, share it with your friends on Facebook and Instagram so they can also try it. Don't forget to Pin it so you can make it again soon!
Ingredients
Cooking the Chickpeas
- 1 cup Dried Chickpeas
- 2-3 Bay Leaves
- hot water, to cover the chick peas while they soak
- 3 cups Water, to cook in Instant Pot
Finishing with Masala
- ⅓ cup onion masala
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 2 teaspoons Chana masala spice mix, (omit if you don't have although it really does add an authentic taste to it)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoons Amchoor, if you have it or one lemon squeezed for juice
Instructions
Quick Soak and Cook the Chana
- I find it easier to quick soak the chana in hot water for an hour but if you're using a Instant Pot you can skip this step. In that case, you will need to add cooking time to compensate.
- Drain the water the chana are soaked in and put the chana in your Instant Pot along with 3 cups of water.
- Add the bay leaves and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes if you want it firm, or 20 minutes if you want a slightly creamy curry ( I went with 20 minutes).
- Allow it to release pressure naturally.
- Open it up and drain the water, but save it for now.
- Use a potato masher or something heavy and roughly mash about half the chana. You're doing this to thicken the final sauce. Please do not add corn starch to thicken! Use the chana mash to thicken.
- Set this aside.
Finishing the Chana
- Heat your pot or skillet and when it's hot, add the ghee and then add the Onion Masala you made earlier.
- Sauté until this is heated through, and then add 2 teaspoons of chana masala and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix well.
- Add in your semi-mashed chana and some of the cooking water and heat through.
- Add lemon juice and taste to see if you need any more, or any additional salt.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or Naan or Chapatis.
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Good day! Loved how you structured this. Pretty eye-opening throughout. All the best.
Very informative piece. I had the same question and your post answered it. I'll be recommending this to others.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I was really craving this dish, but my regular grocery store didn’t have dried chickpeas, add I didn’t have time to go to the Indian market, so I went rogue and substituted pinto beans, otherwise preparing everything as written. It worked! Making the onion masala from scratch was key.