This Kala chana is made in an instant pot from unsoaked black grams to a finished curry. A quick and easy no-soak, delectable, savory, and comforting, one-pot black gram curry that can be served for lunch or dinner.
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Kala chana is a type of chickpea that is widely used in Indian cuisine. This Kala chana recipe is nothing fancy but a simple black chickpea curry. If you tried my aloo tamatar sabzi and capsicum curry you will love this recipe too. Still, let me give you a few reasons to try this recipe.
Why will you love this recipe?
- Quick recipe: Instant pot makes cooking Kala chana way faster than the conventional pressure cooker recipes.
- No soak recipe: This black gram recipe is made in an instant pot without soaking it for hours.
- Vegan curry recipe. This Kala chana instant pot recipe is one of those Indian recipes that are inherently vegan.
- Make it Gluten free recipe by skipping asafetida.
- Approachable. I have kept this recipe approachable by using very few staple Indian ingredients.
🥘 Ingredients required for making Kala Chana in Instant pot
This black chickpeas recipe require the following ingredients.
Black Chana
Black chana are the black chickpeas also known as Bengal gram. It is a sort of brown garbanzo bean, or brown chickpeas native to the Indian subcontinent. In India, we call it Kala chana. Kala means black, and chana means chickpea. It is the key ingredient, and you cannot substitute it with anything else. Ideally, Kala chana needs to be soaked overnight before cooking in the morning. Soaking makes it easier to digest and faster to cook. But an ideal world does not exist for me. I always forget to soak my beans the night before. If that is something that you can relate to, this recipe will make your life easy. Unsoaked chana will take longer to cook, but we will make it in an instant pot, which will bring down the cooking time.
Oil
You can use the oil of your choice. Any cooking oil with a high smoke point like avocado oil, soyabean oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil would work. Low-smoke point oils like olive oil or unrefined avocado oil should be avoided. You can use ghee as the cooking medium for this Kala chana curry.
Red onions
Red onions are the first choice for making any Indian recipe. The second alternative is shallots. If you do not have any of these, go with yellow onions.
Make sure to chop the onions finely. They are supposed to become the base for the Kala chana recipe.
Ginger
You need fresh ginger. Peel it and grate it using the fine side of the grater.
Garlic
The Kala chana recipe needs a dominating garlic flavor. I have used 5-6 garlic cloves. You can mince it finely or grate using the finer side of the grater.
Tomato paste
Traditionally, fresh tomatoes are used to make gravy in Indian recipes. Fresh tomatoes take longer to cook, and their taste varies with the season. So, I like to use tomato paste in my recipes. It gives consistent results every time. To replace 3 tablespoon of tomato paste use 3 ripe tomatoes (thinly chopped, grated, or blended). Or you can use a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes.
Spices required to make the Kala Chana recipe in an instant pot
Cumin seeds
A very basic ingredient in Indian cooking.
Turmeric
Every Indian recipe needs turmeric. Buy a good quality adulteration-free organic turmeric powder. One teaspoon is more than enough. Turmeric needs to be cooked to get rid of the raw turmeric flavor. So, when we add the hot oil, it quickly releases the aroma.
Garam masala
It is a combination of key Indian spices blended and made into a spice powder. A teaspoon of gram masala is all you need. You can make it at home or use the store-bought ones.
Asafetida
It gives an umami flavor to Indian recipes. You just need a pinch of asafetida. This could be difficult to procure. Usually sold at the Indian grocery store. You can also buy it online. You can totally skip it.
Black Cardamom
It is the elder sister of the green cardamom. It has a stronger and deeper flavor. While green cardamom is used in sweet recipes, black cardamom is widely used in savory recipes. Crush the pods using a pestle and mortar and extract the seeds. Now further crush the seeds and use them in the kala chana recipe.
Chana masala
Chana masala is a mix of powdered dry spices, just like curry powder, and garam masala. But it is specific to chickpea recipes. You could also use it in the chana masala recipe
Salt and red chili powder
Use salt and chili powder as per your taste and heat tolerance.
🔪 How to make Kala Chana In Instant Pot
Step 1 Prepare the ingredients
Start by washing the Kala chana and putting it aside. You can let it soak in water while we prep the rest of the ingredients. Finely chop the onions, mince the garlic and grate the ginger.
Pull out all the spices and keep them at a hand's distance. While preparing the tadka or masala, you must be quick with adding the dry spices. The powdered spices can burn very quickly when added directly to the oil. Also, keep a glass of water close.
If you are using fresh tomatoes instead of tomato paste, blend them in a food processor to make tomato puree.
Step 2 Preparing masala for Kala chana recipe
Set the instant pot in the sauté mode at high temperature for 10 minutes. Then, in the pot of the instant, add oil. And add a teaspoon of cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add ginger and garlic. Sauté them for a minute and then add the chopped red onions. Sauté while stirring the onions. When they turn golden, add all the dry spices. Give them a quick stir and add 2-3 tablespoons of water immediately.
Let the spices cook for half a minute and then add tomato paste. Add ¼ cup of water and stir the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste for 1-2 minutes until it starts to leave oil.
Step 3 Cooking Kala chana in an instant pot
Now add kale chana. Mix to coat them thoroughly in the spices. And cook for 2-3 minutes in the spices. Now, add 4 ½ cups of water and stir.
Cancel the sauté mode. And close the lid of the instant pot. Set it on the pressure cook mode for 45 minutes. And, let the pressure release naturally.
When done, remove the lid. Now, use a slotted ladle to remove 2-3 ladles full of cooked black chana and drop them into the mortar. Use the pestle to crush and break the Kala chana into a paste. Now, put these crushed Kala chana paste back into the instant pot. This makes the gravy thick. Mix well and cook on sauté mode for 3-4 minutes. Remove into a serving bowl and top with chopped onions, chopped cilantro, or a dollop of butter.
Serve hot with roti, rice, or paratha.
How to make unsoaked Kala chana in conventional pressure cookers?
You can make these black chickpeas curry in a pressure cooker just like an instant pot. Make the masala in the pressure cooker with an open lid. Finally, finish the Kala chana curry in the pressure cooker. Let it release 4-5 whistles at high flame and then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 50-55 more minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
How to serve Kala chana made in Instant Pot?
This Kala chana curry makes a great dinner as well as a lunch meal. It is best served with basmati rice. Or you can also serve it as an entree alongside flatbreads like naan, pita bread, roti, or paratha. Alongside serve some salad and raita.
Other variations of Kala chana/ Bengal Gram
This recipe is what we call kale channe Rasedaar. It simply translates as black chana made with runny gravy. But are various other ways to enjoy Kala chana.
- Dry or sookha Kala chana recipe: This is best enjoyed with poori or bhature.
- Kala chana zeera: These are nothing but the simple boiled Kala chana made in only cumin. These are enjoyed with halwa on festivals like Navratri.
- Banarasi Ghugni: This is a spicy and tart Kala chana recipe that is more popular as street food.
🫙 Storage and Reheating Notes
To store the leftover back chickpeas, refrigerate them in an airtight container for 3-4 days. For prolonged storage, freeze in a freezer-safe container for about 2 weeks.
To thaw the frozen Kala chana curry, defrost it in a microwave, or thaw it overnight in the fridge. You can also let it self-thaw by leaving it at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
💭 Recipe tips
- Use tomato puree of 3 tomatoes to substitute the tomato paste or use a small can of diced tomatoes.
- If you are cooking soaked black chickpeas reduce the quantity of water in the instant pot by a cup.
- In absence of red onions use shallots or yellow onions.
- You can use ginger garlic paste to replace fresh ginger and garlic.
- Use something on the lines of a pestle or mortar or a potato masher to mash a small amount of cooked Kala chana to give thickness to the gravy of this Kala chana recipe. You can also use a food processor.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Overnight-soaked Kala chana will take lesser water and cook faster. In conventional pressure cookers, Kala chana will need about 4 cups of water per 1 cup of Kala chana. First, let it cook at high flame for 4-5 whistles, and then reduce the flame to simmer. Let it cook in the pressure cooker at a simmer for 35-40 minutes. Then let the pressure release naturally. Then proceed as stated in the recipe.s inherently vegan.
Kala chana takes about 7-8 hours to soak fully. Add 5-6 cups of water per one cup of black chana and let them soak overnight.
Soaked chana is easier to cook and digest as compared to unsoaked chana. But that does not mean that you cannot make chana without soaking. They can be made without soaking also, but it will take more time and water to cook.
The best way to eat Kala chana ( Bengal gram) is to eat it after sprouting. Kala chana can also be eaten raw. They first need to soak overnight and then remove the water. Wash in clean water and let them sprout near a window while keeping them covered with a wet towel. Add the sprouted chana to the salads or just a chaat with them.
Suggested recipes
A few more instant pot Indian vegetarian recipes:
- Chana Dal in Instant Pot: No-soak Split Chickpea Lentil Curry
- Daal Palak | How to make Indian Palak dal recipe?
- Dal Makhani: No soak pressure cook recipe
- Toor Dal in Instant Pot: No Soak Arhar Dal Recipe
- Frozen Cauliflower in air fryer : A Quick Recipe
- Aloo Tamatar Sabzi (tomato potato curry)
More Indian recipes:
- Pakoras in Air Fryer: Crispy and Healthy!
- Air Fryer Frozen Broccoli Spiced to Perfection!
- Air Fryer Plantain Chips- Kerala Style Banana Chips
- Shimla Mirch ki sabzi (Pepper curry
- Cabbage Curry Recipe ( North Indian Cabbage Sabzi)
I hope you enjoyed this Punjabi Kala chana recipe using an instant pot. So, if you forgot to soak the chana, just give this recipe a try. Share your results and opinions in the comment section below. Also, subscribe to never miss a recipe.
Till then,
Make it delicious!
📝 Recipe Card: Kala Chana In Instant Pot
Kala Chana Recipe in Instant Pot
Equipment
- Instant pot
Ingredients
Ingredients for making Kala Chana (Black chickpeas curry)
- 1 cup Kala chana (( Bengal Gram/ Black chickpeas))
- 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 red onion (medium) (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon ginger (grated)
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
Spices for making black chana recipe
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon asafetida
- 2 black cardamoms (seed crushed)
- 2 teaspoon chana masala
Instructions
Step 1 Prepare the ingredients
- Start by washing the Kala chana and set it aside. You can let it soak in water while we prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Chop the onions finely, mince the garlic and grate the ginger.
- Pull out all the spices and keep them at a hand's distance. While preparing the tadka or masala, you must be quick with adding the dry spices. The powdered spices can burn very quickly when added directly to the oil.
- Also, keep a glass of water close.
- If you are using fresh tomatoes instead of tomato paste, blend them in a food processor to make tomato puree.
Step 2 Preparing masala for kala chana recipe
- Set the instant pot in the sauté mode at high temperature for 10 minutes.
- Then, in the pot of the instant, add oil. And add cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add ginger and garlic.
- Sauté them for a minute and then add the chopped red onions. Sauté while stirring the onions. When they turn golden, add all the dry spices. Give them a quick stir and add 2-3 tablespoons of water immediately.
- Let the spices cook for half a minute and then add tomato paste.
- Add ¼ cup of water and stir the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste for 1-2 minutes until it starts to leave oil.
Step 3 Cooking kala chana in an instant pot
- Now add Kala chana. Mix to coat them thoroughly in the spices and cook kala chana for 2-3 minutes in the spices.
- Now, add 4 ½ cups of water and stir.
- Cancel the sauté mode. And close the lid of the instant pot.
- Set it on the pressure cook mode for 45 minutes. When done, let the pressure release naturally.
- When done, remove the lid.
- Now, use a slotted ladle to remove 2-3 ladles full of cooked black chana and drop them into the mortar.
- Use the pestle to crush and break the Kala chana into a paste.
- Now, put these crushed Kala chana paste back into the instant pot. This makes the gravy thick. Mix well and cook on sauté mode for 3-4 minutes.
- Finally remove into a serving bowl and top with chopped onions, chopped cilantro, or a dollop of butter.
- Serve hot with roti, rice, or paratha.
Notes
- Use tomato puree of 3 tomatoes to substitute the tomato paste or use a small can of diced tomatoes.
- If you are cooking soaked Kala chana reduce the quantity of water in the instant pot by a cup.
- In absence of red onions use shallots or yellow onions.
- You can use ginger garlic paste to replace fresh ginger and garlic.
- Use something on the lines of a pestle or mortar or a potato masher to mash a small amount of cooked Kala chana to give thickness to the gravy of this Kala chana recipe. You can also use a food processor.
- Crush the pods of black cardamom using a pestle and mortar and extract the seeds. Now further crush the seeds and add them with the dry spices.
📋Nutrition Facts
Shruti Shrestha
I always forget to soak chana. I am glad I have found this recipe. Just for a second, I used a hand mixer straight in the instant pot to disintegrate some Chana to thicken the gravy. It worked nicely.
Meenakshi
I am glad you found it helpful.