Made with dry chickpeas, flavorful spices, and creamy coconut milk, this Instant Pot chickpea curry is a nutritious weeknight meal!
I love how the Instant Pot magically takes dry chickpeas and turns them into a flavorful chickpea curry in about an hour. The best part? The chickpeas don't need to be soaked before cooking!
I make Instant Pot chickpeas more than any other Instant Pot recipe, so you know that the chickpeas in this Instant Pot curry are tender and flavorful. That's also thanks to coconut milk and a mix of Indian curry-inspired seasonings!
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Recipe highlights
- Budget-friendly: We all need more cost-effective meals these days, and this Instant Pot chickpea curry is certainly one of them! Dry chickpeas are less expensive than canned chickpeas, and the seasonings used in this curry can be used in all kinds of recipes.
- Quick & easy: While the curry takes about an hour to cook from start to finish, it only requires 10 minutes of active time.
- Versatile: This curry freezes well. It can also be doubled or cut in half depending on the size of your Instant Pot.
- Flavors: This is by no means an authentic curry, but it is inspired by Indian dishes I've eaten over the years and uses a few Indian spices (garam masala, curry powder).
Ingredients and substitutions
- Dry chickpeas: This curry uses 1 ½ cups (12 ounces) of dry chickpeas. Make sure to sort out any shriveled peas and rinse the dry chickpeas in a fine mesh sieve or colander before cooking.
- Vegetable broth: I love Better than Bouillon, which is a paste that dissolves in water and creates a flavorful vegetable broth. That being said, any variety of broth works here.
- Coconut milk: Canned full-fat coconut milk adds depth and creaminess. For a lower fat and lighter option, replace with a can of lite coconut milk. Note that the chickpea curry will not be as creamy.
- Onions, garlic, and ginger: I use yellow onion, but white onion will work if that's what you have available. One tablespoon of fresh ginger and garlic can be replaced with one teaspoon of ground, but I highly recommend using fresh if able.
- Spices: This curry uses garam masala, curry powder, and cumin seeds. Toasting cumin seeds instead of ground cumin is worth it for the flavor it provides the dish. You can find cumin seeds in most spice aisles. Substitute 1 teaspoon ground cumin for 1 teaspoon cumin seeds as needed.
- Crushed tomatoes: Tomatoes provide acidity to an otherwise creamy dish. If you don't have crushed on hand, diced will also work. I even tried this recipe with fire-roasted tomatoes once and was pleasantly surprised.
- Spinach: This is entirely optional, but it provides a burst of color and amps up the iron content of the dish.
Step-by step-instructions
Step 1: Start by pressing the "saute" button on the Instant Pot. Drizzle with peanut oil (this can be substituted with canola, olive, or vegetable oil as needed). Adjust to "normal" saute.
Once it reads "hot", add the diced onion and cumin seeds. Saute for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion is lightly golden. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the spices, toasting for 30 seconds to enhance their flavor.
Step 2: Deglaze the Instant Pot with a splash (about one tablespoon) of vegetable broth or water. This will remove any of the stuck-on bits from the pot.
Add the remaining vegetable broth, coconut milk, and dry chickpeas. Stir together to combine.
Step three: Lock the lid in place and close the vent. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for the pot to come to pressure. When the 30 minute timer is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Once the pressure is completely released (you can tell because the silver pin by the vent will drop down), remove the lid. Test chickpeas for doneness.
Step four: Stir in crushed tomatoes and optional spinach and taste for salt. The spinach should wilt in under a minute. Enjoy!
Cassidy's tips
- All of my Instant Pot recipes are made in a 6 qt DUO60 Instant Pot. This recipe works in an 8-quart Instant Pot, and should work in a 3 quart Instant Pot as long as it doesn't go past the max fill line.
- Authenticity: This is not an authentic Indian Chana masala. It is inspired by the flavors and ingredients of other chickpea curry recipes that I've tried and loved over the years.
- Serving: Serve over white or brown rice. It also goes well with a slice of naan or paired with quinoa. Top with a squeeze of lime juice and freshly chopped cilantro for an extra flavor kick.
- The tomatoes are added after cooking because acidic ingredients can cause dry beans to cook unevenly. This step is out of an abundance of caution. If you accidentally add the tomatoes before pressure cooking, the chickpeas may just need to be cooked a bit longer.
FAQ
Place the Instant Pot lid back in place. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. When the timer is up, do a quick pressure release to release all steam at once. Test the chickpeas and repeat as needed until desired tenderness is reached.
You can use canned chickpeas but will need to reduce the vegetable broth to just one cup total. Cook on high pressure for just 1 minute if using canned chickpeas. Allow a natural pressure release.
Don't add onions to the Instant Pot to sauté until it reads "Hot". This will prevent the onions from sticking to the pot. After sautéing the onions, ginger and garlic add a splash of vegetable broth to deglaze the pan. This will remove any stuck bits that may trigger a burn error.
If using a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot you can double the recipe. Cook for the same length of time.
This recipe can be made on the stovetop with canned chickpeas, or you can check out my vegan chickpea curry which uses similar ingredients.
Storage tips
- Storage: Store refrigerated in a closed container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in a small pot on the stove over medium heat until warmed through or heat in the microwave. To reheat in the Instant Pot, select "saute" over normal heat. Saute, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- How to freeze: Allow the chickpea curry to cool to room temperature before transferring to freezer-safe containers. Leave at least an inch of space at the top of the container because the curry will expand as it freezes. Let thaw completely in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stove.
Similar recipes
If you like this recipe, you'll love this Instant Pot red lentil curry. If you're looking for a stovetop curry, you might like this mixed vegetable curry or vegan chickpea curry.
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
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Instant Pot Chickpea Curry (No Soak)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil see note #1
- 1 cup diced yellow onion from 1 medium onion
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds see note #2
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger, see note #3
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 2 cups vegetable broth plus more for deglazing
- 1 can (14 ounces) full fat coconut milk
- 1 and ½ cups dry chickpeas rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups fresh spinach see note #4
- lime juice and chopped cilantro for serving
- 2 and ½ cups cooked white rice
Instructions
- Start by pressing the "saute" button on your Instant Pot. Adjust to "normal" saute. Drizzle with peanut oil. Once it reads "hot", add the diced onion and cumin seeds. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until onion is translucent and lightly golden at the ends. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the spices (garam masala, curry powder, salt). Deglaze the pan with a splash (about one tablespoon) of vegetable broth or water to remove any stuck on bits from the pot.
- Add the remaining vegetable broth, coconut milk and dry chickpeas. Stir together to combine.
- Lock the lid in place and close the vent. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for the pot to come to pressure. When the 30 minute timer is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally. Once the pressure is completely released, remove the lid. Test chickpeas for doneness. If the chickpeas are not cooked enough, replace the lid and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. When the timer is up carefully do a quick pressure release.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes and optional spinach and taste for salt. The fresh spinach should wilt in under a minute. Serve with rice and garnish with lime wedges and fresh chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Peanut oil: This is used because of the flavor it adds, but it can be substituted with canola, olive or vegetable oil as needed
- Cumin seeds: Can be replaced with 1 teaspoon ground cumin as desired. Add ground cumin in with the rest of the spices instead of sautéing it with onion.
- Garlic and ginger: One tablespoon fresh garlic/ginger can be replaced with 1 teaspoon ground dry garlic/ginger as needed. Add in with the rest of the spices instead of sautéing.
- Spinach: Replace 2 cups fresh with 1 cup frozen as needed. Simmer until the spinach is fully defrosted.
- Can I double this recipe? If using a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot you can double the recipe. Cook for the same length of time.
- Leftovers and reheating: Store refrigerated in a closed container for 3-4 days. Reheat in a small pot on the stove over medium heat until warmed through or heat in the microwave.
- Freezing instructions: Allow the curry to cool to room temperature before transferring to freezer-safe containers. Leave at least an inch of space at the top of the container because the curry will expand as it freezes. Let thaw completely in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or on the stove.
JEFF says
We loved it, it was tasty. We did increase the cooking time to 45 minutes, and we had Jamaican curry that we picked up there.
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Yum sounds like a delicious addition!
Disappointed says
Bland and texturally boring.
Cassidy Reeser says
Sorry to hear your didn’t like it!
Magrietha says
This was my first dish in my very first Instant Pot, and the detail helped me to feel less intimidated. Mine had too much liquid by the end, though, even though I cooked it for 50 minutes because I love soft chickpeas. The sauce was delicious, so instead of evaporating it on sauté, I scooped some off for my next afternoons rice. But, I now make it with 1 cup of broth, 1 can of coconut milk, and 2/3 of the can of crushed tomato each. My IP never give burn warnings, so I add the tomato at the beginning and stir in some frozen mixed vegetables at the end that release a bit more liquid. Yummy!
Ed says
This was very tasty and I will definitely make again. I will add more cooking time next time, since the chickpeas were still about too hard for my liking even after 35 min. cook time.