Vegan Chana Masala Instant Pot
This deliciously spicy, tangy, vegan, healthy and protein-rich chickpea curry is a perfect match as a pairing for Poori or Chapati.
Servings: 6
Calories: 310kcal
Ingredients
- 40 ounce chickpeas cooked (5 cups)
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 teaspoon ginger grated
- 2 garlic clove chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds optional
- 2½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon amchur powder or lemon juice (1 tsp)
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon Cilantro chopped
Chana Masala Spice Blend Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 4 cloves
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 5 peppercorn
- ½ teaspoon saunf - fennel seeds
- 2 black cardamoms
- 1 star anise
Instructions
- Start by preparing your chana masala spice mix.
- Roast the coriander powder, cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorn, saunf-fennel seeds, black cardamoms, and star anise on medium heat until fragrant for about 2 minutes. Cool and grind to a fine powder and set it aside.1 teaspoon coriander powder, 4 cloves, ½ inch cinnamon stick, 5 peppercorn, ½ teaspoon saunf - fennel seeds, 2 black cardamoms, 1 star anise
- Press the ‘saute’ button (medium) and add oil or vegan butter. As the oil heats up, add cumin seeds and bay leaf.1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 bay leaf
- When the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add chopped onions.1 onion
- Saute onions until they turn translucent. Then add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 sec.2 teaspoon ginger, 2 garlic clove
- Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, and tomato paste and saute for 2-3 minutes.1 tomato, 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- Add red chili powder (cayenne pepper powder), turmeric powder, and the chana masala spice mix you prepared earlier. Saute until fragrant, for about a minute.2 teaspoon red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Add the cooked chickpeas to the pot along with water. Stir well.40 ounce chickpeas, 2½ cup water
- Close the lid (with the valve in the sealing position) and set the manual pressure cooking time at 8 minutes.
- When the timer beeps, leave it for natural pressure release.
- Open the lid carefully and give everything a good stir. Adjust salt if needed.
- Press saute mode again and add amchur powder, Kasuri methi, and brown sugar.1 teaspoon Kasuri methi, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon amchur powder
- Mash some of the beans with a potato masher and continue to stir well.
- Let the mixture come to a boil and let it simmer for a minute. Press ‘cancel’ and garnish with cilantro.
- Instant Pot Chana Masala recipe is ready for your family! Serve it hot with roti, poori, or steamed rice.
Video
Notes
- To make this curry creamier, use a potato masher and mash a few beans in the pot. After 5- 8 mins, gradually, it will start to thicken. Don’t mash all beans; we want a mix of mashed and whole chickpeas.
- If you have any leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container. Just reheat it before serving; it will taste even better the next day!
- Adjust the spice level according to your preference by adding or reducing the amount of red chili powder.
- If you do not prefer preparing your own masala, you could use a store-bought chana masala powder. Use 1 ½ tablespoons of store-bought chana masala powder instead of making your own for a quicker version.
- For extra flavor, add some chopped onions and green chilies as toppings before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 550mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 5mg