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Chana Gravy

Chana Gravy in Instant Pot

Gayathri Vijayakumar
Chana Gravy in Instant Pot is a healthy, Protein-rich & easy One Pot recipe. Today, I am sharing a recipe of this Vegan & Gluten-free recipe using simple spices, resulting in a home-style gravy.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Dry Chickpeas Soak overnight in enough water
  • 2 cups Water

To make the Spice Paste

  • 1 tsp Oil
  • 1 inch Cinnamon
  • 2 Cardamom
  • 2 Cloves
  • 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
  • 1/2 tsp Peppercorn
  • 5 or 6 Red Chillies
  • 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
  • 1 inch Ginger
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 2 medium Tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup Grated Coconut

To make the Chana Masala

  • 2 tsp Oil
  • 1 medium Onion
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • Salt as needed
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves

Instructions
 

  • Soak 1 cup of dried chickpeas in enough water overnight or for 6 hours. Before cooking, drain the water and keep the chickpeas aside.
  • Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add oil to the Pot. Once the oil turns hot, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, coriander seeds, peppercorn, ginger & garlic.
  • Saute for a minute or 2 until they turn golden brown and a nice aroma comes. Now, add the chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes turn mushy.
  • Add grated coconut, mix everything together and switch off.
  • Remove this mixture from the pot, let it cool to room temperature and make a fine paste
  • In the same pot, add oil. Once hot, add the sliced onions. Saute till they turn light brown. Add the ground paste. Saute for 30 seconds.
  • Add turmeric powder, and give a mix. Add the soaked and drained chickpeas. Mix it thoroughly with the masala paste. Add water. Close the lid on the pot, and turn the pressure valve to Sealing Position.
  • Set the pot to PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and set the timer to 40 minutes.
  • Once the cooking is done, do a NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE for 15 minutes and release the remaining pressure manually once 15 minutes is done. Squeeze in some lemon juice, and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves & serve hot.

Notes

Adjust spice to your taste. My chillis are not the spicy variety and hence I used 6 chillies. 
If using canned chickpeas, drain the water from the can. Reduce cooking time in Instant Pot to 10 minutes and add just 1 cup of water for cooking. 
This gravy is fairly thick. If you want a runny gravy, add more water. 
Soak chickpeas in enough water for a minimum of 6 hours to overnight. Pre-soaking chickpeas help in easy digestion.
Drain the soaked water and use fresh water for making the gravy.

Squeezing a few drops of lemon juice towards the end enhances the taste and flavour of the gravy.

Make sure you roast the spices until it turns golden brown and leaves a nice aroma. Ensure you don't burn the spices.
You can make the same in a stovetop pressure cooker by cooking it for 6-7 whistles. Follow the same cooking procedure as above. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!