This Vegan Chana Masala is my favorite Indian dish, and I’m showing you how to make it easily using the Instant Pot. It’s packed with spices and depth of flavor, just like any good Indian dish! For the full walk-through the recipe and tips, check out the video on Youtube!
And if you want more than 90 incredible vegan Instant Pot recipes, be sure to order my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook!
Don’t have an Instant Pot? This blog post has stovetop instructions, too!
This is the easiest and best vegan Instant Pot Chana Masala recipe ever! It’s loaded with Indian spices and brimming with flavorful aromas. Its thick gravy-like consistency will remind you of restaurant-style chana masala. But it’s made in a fraction of the time and with minimal effort using the Instant Pot!
One of the things I love about this recipe (aside from its delicious taste) is that it’s made primarily with pantry ingredients. So, as long as you have some Indian spices in the pantry, you likely have most of the ingredients needed for this recipe!
Stovetop or Instant Pot
If you have an Instant Pot, I’d recommend making the Instant Pot version of this recipe. This recipe is also in my cookbook, if you have a copy 🙂
The high pressure of the Instant Pot thickens the gravy in a short period of time, which gives it the texture of an authentic Indian restaurant-style dish. It’s pretty difficult to achieve that same type of texture on the stovetop, but the stovetop version is still very delicious!
Ingredient Rundown
As I mentioned above, this recipe is made with mostly pantry ingredients like onions, garlic, spices, and canned tomatoes.
There are a few ingredients that aren’t pantry ingredients: fresh ginger, serrano peppers (spicy green chili peppers), and cilantro (stirred in at the end). If you don’t have these ingredients or don’t want to buy them, feel free to omit them (though fresh ginger and cilantro add quite a bit to this recipe).
All of the spices used in this recipe are common Indian spices that you can find at most grocery stores, except black mustard seeds. If you don’t have them or can’t find them, you can use the more commonly available brown mustard seeds or omit them.
Dried Chickpeas vs. Canned Chickpeas
I have made this recipe many times with both dried chickpeas and cooked chickpeas, and both come out great.
If you are making the Instant Pot version, I recommend using dried chickpeas since you don’t have to go through the extra step of cooking them. You do need to soak the chickpeas, and the cook time is 35 minutes instead of 8 minutes, but I think the textural difference is worth it.
If you are making the stovetop version, it’s easiest to use canned chickpeas. If you use dried chickpeas, you’ll have to cook them from scratch. And while it’s really easy to cook chickpeas in the Instant Pot, if you have an Instant Pot…then you should just be making the Instant Pot version 🙂
Watch! How to make Vegan Instant Pot Chana Masala
If you give this recipe a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please comment with your feedback below!
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Vegan Instant Pot Chana Masala
Ingredients
- 3 (15-ounce / 440g) cans of chickpeas OR 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) dried chickpeas
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil or neutral cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 medium onions, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly minced or grated ginger
- 1-2 serrano peppers*, minced
- 3 bay leaves
Ground Spices
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Indian red chili powder (use less for a less spicy version)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 of a 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed with your hands
- 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) vegetable broth or water (3/4 cup if using canned chickpeas)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- For serving: Basmati rice and/or Indian flatbread
Instructions
- If you are using dried chickpeas, place them in a large bowl and soak in cold water overnight or for 8 hours. Drain, rinse, and set aside. If you are using canned chickpeas, open the cans, drain and rinse.
- On the Instant Pot, select the Sauté setting. Add the oil and once it is shimmering, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. They might sputter a bit so stand back. After 30 seconds, add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently until the onion starts to brown, 6-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, Serrano peppers, and bay leaves and stir to combine until garlic is golden brown, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the Ground Spices and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. You may need to add a tablespoon of water to prevent the mixture from drying out and/or burning.
- Stir in the salt, hand-crushed tomatoes, canned or soaked dried chickpeas, and vegetable broth or water. Stir well to combine. Select the Cancel setting.
- Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the Pressure Release valve to Sealing. Select the Pressure Cook setting on the Instant Pot and set to high pressure for 8 minutes (for canned chickpeas) or 35 minutes (for soaked, dried chickpeas).
- Once the timer is up, allow the Instant Pot to come to a natural pressure release. It should take 10-15 minutes.If it is not as thick as you'd like, turn on the Sauté setting and let the mixture rapidly simmer to cook off some liquid.
- Open the pot and stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, and season to taste. Serve over Basmati rice and/or with Indian flatbread.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!Vegan Chana Masala (Stove-Top Method)
Ingredients
- 3 (15-ounce / 440g) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained; or 12 ounces (1½ cups / 340g) dried chickpeas, soaked and cooked
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, or neutral cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds*
- 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds**
- 2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ tablespoons freshly grated or minced ginger (optional)***
- 1 serrano pepper, minced, seeds and membranes removed (optional)***
- 3 bay leaves
- Ground Spices
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 - 1 teaspoon Indian red chili powder****
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (14.5-ounce / 410g) can diced tomatoes*****
- 1 (14.5-ounce / 410g) can crushed tomatoes*****
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup (120 mL) water, more or less as needed
- 2-3 teaspoons coconut sugar or cane sugar, as needed to balance the heat
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- For serving: Basmati rice and/or Indian flatbread
Instructions
- If using dried chickpeas, see the Notes below.
- Heat a large, deep nonstick frying pan or a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the black mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Stir occasionally and toss the seeds around for 1-2 minutes, or until they start to jump in the pan and smell very aromatic.
- Add the oil, and once it’s melted, add the diced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and start to turn golden, 6-8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until very aromatic, stirring frequently to prevent burning. If using ginger and serrano pepper, add with the garlic.
- Add the bay leaves and Ground Spices, and stir into the onions for 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas and stir them around to coat in the spices. Cook for 5-6 minutes, turning only once after a few minutes, to allow them to get a bit browned and crispy.
- Add the canned tomatoes, salt, and water. You’re looking for the texture of a thick stew (it should not be soupy). Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low or low to maintain a simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed if it appears too thick. The texture should get thicker and the liquid should mostly evaporate.
- Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly, adding more salt as needed, or a bit of coconut sugar to balance the heat. Stir in lemon juice, and serve with rice. Leftovers stay good in an airtight container for up to 5 days; freeze for longer.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!How to cook dried chickpeas on the stove
Ingredients
- 12 ounces 1½ cups / 340g chickpeas
- Water
- 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons kosher salt.
Instructions
- Soak chickpeas in plenty of cold water overnight or for 8 hours. Drain and rinse.
- Add chickpeas to a large saucepan and add water to cover by 3 inches (8 cm).
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Then lower to medium heat and simmer until just tender, about 1 hour. Add 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and simmer for 5 more minutes, or until tender.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
Delicious but I followed this to a T, only doubled it, and I didn’t get a gravy like consistency. It was more soupy. Can you point me where I might have went wrong? I did natural release for 30 minutes before quick release. Drained, canned chickpeas.
Hi Amber, I am guessing that doubling the recipe could be the culprit, as sometimes you don’t need the full amount of liquid doubled. The next time you try this, you can use 25% less broth. You can also rapidly simmer the chana masala after it’s done to boil off some liquid. Hope that helps!
I’ve made this several times and it is delicious.Thank you! Just the other day someone told me there was a difference between indian bay leaves and “standard” bay leaves after looking at the video I looks like indian bay leaf is that correct and does it make a difference? Thanks again.
From Nisha:
“Yes! They are distinct. That said, I use what I have on hand (sometimes I have Indian bay leaves, AKA tej patta, so I use them in my Indian recipes; other times, I do not, and I use regular bay leaves. I’ve served Indian dishes to my parents with regular bay leaves and they have not even noticed a difference, so I don’t think it matters too much. If you want to seek out tej patta, it’s a fun experiment to smell and compare the differences, but if you have regular bay leaves and want to use those, that’s fine too.”
Followed the soaked overnight garbanzo bean instant pot recipe to a T with a 10 min natural release. I was a little nervous thinking I might get a burn notice on the instant pot with only 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth, but it turned out delicious. Great flavor, and perfect texture. This one is a keeper; Thank you for sharing.
We appreciate your feedback and support, Jessie. Thank you for leaving a review!
I just made this tonight and it turned out a-ma-zing! I made it using dry chickpeas soaked overnight, and the recommended 35 min cooking time was so perfect! I didn’t do natural release for too long, only about 5 minutes, but the chickpeas were already very soft. The spicing and the flavors are just incredible. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! 🙂
I tried this recipe yesterday with a friend of mine. We both really loved the result and the preparation was very simple. The cooking time of 35min for the chickpeas was also perfect (we did a natural pressure release for 17min and then a quick pressure release). Thank you! <3
Loved this dish, both the preparation and the eating!
Hi! I want to make this for a dinner this weekend, but I need to double the amount. Will it fit in a six quart instant pot doubled?
Hi Zipporah, sorry we didn’t answer it in time! Did you try it out?
No, I didn’t 😞 I didn’t wana risk that many unknowns when cooking for a group of people. I still plan on trying this in the future!
This is the best homemade Chana masala I have found! Thank you for the excellent recipe and the helpful video. We will definitely be making this one again!
Hi Kay, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
So delicious! Thank you for including stovetop instructions too.
You’re welcome, Ann!
Oh my! So damn good!!!
I made this last night for dinner and DAMN!! DAMN!! DAMN!! That’s delicious!!!
I have “baby-mouth” and so used the yellow mustard seeds and only a half tsp of cayenne.
I thought I bought Indian pepper but it turns out I did not, SO, I used cayenne. What is the Indian pepper you are using in this recipe?? I found Kashmiri Pepper at the Indian grocery, but the reviews say it is a mild pepper. It is a beautiful red but I am not sure it is the pepper you using. Plus, I mistakenly picked up a container of Kashmiri curry which was next to the Kashmiri Pepper and did not notice until I was cooking. And so I used cayenne.
The only modification I made was at the dinner table. I served the Curry with yogurt and sour cream on the table for as a condiment. They both added a nice flavor to the Curry and rounded it out as it was acidic. I saw your notes after dinner about adding a bit of sugar as well but the cream was lovely.
I served the Curry with your quick flatbread (gluten-free) on the side, it’s a big winner in our house!!
Your recipes are inspiring me to get back into the kitchen more often. Thank you.
Hi Sarena, we’re so happy you loved this recipe! This one’s a favorite of mine as well!
And as for the chili powders info: Indian red chili powder is made entirely from dried chile peppers, unlike standard grocery store chili powder, which is a blend of chilies and spices like oregano and cumin. You’ll typically find it in two primary forms at Indian grocery stores: (1) Kashmiri chili powder, gorgeously vibrant red and mild in heat; (2) the standard red chili powders (often labeled mirchi or lal mirch, Hindi for chili or red chili), which are spicy. This recipe calls for the former!
Made this (with canned chickpeas) and served it with mixed rice/quinoa, oatly’s Turkish style oatgurt, cilantro and quick pickled veggies (carrots, beets and red onions) and I don’t have words for how amazing it is!!
(Didn’t have any Serrano chilis so I ground up jalapeño, chipotle and “regular” chili flakes and it worked, as well, but I bet it would be even better (if that’s possible?) with Serrano. Will go looking for those! 🙂
Definitely adding this recipe to my favourites. Thank you so much!!
We’re over the moon to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Zarah, Thanks for your kind words!
I just made the Instapot version…YUMMMMMM! Nice flavor with a touch of heat. I used dried beans that I had already cooked in my Instapot (from your instapot cookbook) Can this be frozen?
Hi Kathy, sorry for the late response! We are so happy you enjoyed it. For future reference, yes this can be frozen for 2-3 months!
I am planing to cook this tomorrow, but I am a bit confused. On one place you write:
“You do need to soak the chickpeas, and the cook time is 35 minutes instead of 8 minutes”
and later you do mention:
“Select the Pressure Cook setting on the Instant Pot and set to high pressure for 8 minutes (for canned chickpeas) or 35 minutes (for soaked, dried chickpeas).”
My confusion is: Is it soak on not soaked dry chcipeas for 35 minutes?
Hi Richo, sorry for any confusion!
If using canned chickpeas:
– no need to soak
– cook for 8 mins in IP
If using dried chickpeas:
– you must soak them ahead of time
– AND you will also need to cook these for 35 minutes in the IP
Hope this cleared up any confusion!
A definite keeper – made this with fresh tomatoes and a jalapeño and a Fresno pepper because I had them. I have amchur powder (I am lucky to have an Indian grocery in my neighborhood), but couldn’t remember what you said in the video so I didn’t add quite the 1.5 tsp you mentioned (I went back and re-watched it later – next time)! Also, I don’t know if this is considered ok, but I just love kasoori methi, and added some dried leaves at the end of cooking time – my hands still have the sweet smell even after washing – this is one of my favorite spices. The smell just does something to my heart. Anyway, if this tastes better the second day, I am really looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch, because this was deliciously warming and comforting on this very cold night. I’ve tried several of your Indian recipes now (aloo gobi, dal makhani, red lentil curry and now chana masala), and would love more! Thank you for sharing these recipes!
Hi Maggie, thanks for taking the time to leave such a sweet review! I agree, Nisha’s Indian recipes are out of this world! May I suggest the chickpea curry or palak paneer? Two of my faves!
Ohhh, thank you Kaitlin for the suggestions, the chickpea curry looks divine – next on my stove!
You’re welcome, Maggie! Enjoy 🙂
forgot to mention that I used dry, soaked chickpeas and an instant pot for this recipe, and they came out tender, perfect. I also had to let the chana masala boil on sauté after cooking for a few minutes in order to thicken up the broth. A wonderful flavor!
That’s lovely to hear, Maggie! 🙂
I made this for my wife who is pretty hard to please and she couldn’t stop siging it’s praises!
Wow! What a compliment! Thanks for sharing, Scott 🙂
Not my favorite channa masala recipe. It came out so soupy in the instant pot and the canned channa was too soft. Next time I will probably only cook it for five minutes instead of the eight and put less water (or no water) than was recommended.
We’re sorry to hear it didn’t work out very well for you, Sejal. We appreciate your feedback.
Love love love this. This is the best thing to eat with homemade paratha roti. My family absolutely hated me for cooking this late at night though LOL the spices were overpowering and stopped them from sleeping (oops D:)
We’re happy you loved the recipe, Jade! Too bad to hear about how the spices woke your family up – I guess that’s a sign the flavor profile in this recipe is just too great… Lol!
My wife and I love this recipe! We have enjoyed Indian cuisine for nearly 30 years and have eaten at quite a few restaurants at home and when we travel. This is absolutely the best Chana Masala, period. I made the Instant Pot version four times since finding it a few months ago and just can’t get enough. We love this recipe.
Alan, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you are such a fan of the Chana Masala 🙂
As always 5 starts are never enough! For anyone hesitating, feeling overwhelmed by the steps and lots of ingredients please just know it’s easier than it looks and it’s beyond worth it. Amazing as always! A million stars!
Hey Rachael! Wow, I can feel your enthusiasm about this recipe through the screen! Love it!
I would like to make this recipe but would like to know the nutritional information first. The link to access it seems to be broken.
Hi Karen, sorry you’re having trouble with this! You can actually see the nutrition facts on the first recipe card for the IP method. The theme we use prevents us from including nutrition facts on any subsequent recipe cards on the post unfortunately. Hope that helped!