Instant pot Chole / Chana Masala with Kale(Kale and Chickpeas Curry)

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Chana Masala or Chole or simply put, Kale and Chickpeas curry is a famous Indian curry made with chickpeas and spices. Chana masala curry takes the old, boring and plain chickpeas to a whole another level. Chana masala in Instant pot is a one-pot dish and so easy. Being a South Indian, this North Indian dish was a bit tricky to master but making it in Instant pot makes the job so much easier. And of course, I add my own twist and make it healthy by adding Kale to it. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, rich in fiber and protein and super delicious!

chole in a black bowl garnished with onions and cilantro and served with puri.

What is Chole or Chana masala?

Chana Masala or Chole is a North-Indian Vegetarian dish made with chickpeas and spices. Its packed with flavor and rich in protein and fiber. It uses a special masala or spice blend called Chole masala powder which is the whole reason for that amazing flavor. Usually, Chana or chickpeas are boiled separately and then added to the tomato gravy but in Instant pot, you make the tomato gravy, add soaked chickpeas and be done with it. You can use a pressure cooker too and use the same method. Sometimes, Tea bags are added to the chole to give that dark intense color, but I like to keep it simple.

How to make homemade Chole masala powder for Instant pot Chana Masala with Kale?

Chana Masala is basically nothing but a fancy tomato curry with a special spice blend. Its so easy to make this Chana masala powder at home. Chana masala needs to have spice, flavor, aroma and tanginess, we get all of them from the following spices. Just grind them into a coarse powder and you have homemade chole masala ready.

1 inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon Cloves(about 10-12)
1 Tablespoon Coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 black Cardamom pods
2 dried red chili
1 teaspoon amchur/Dry mango powder
1 teaspoon Kasuri methi

Can I use store bought Chole masala for this Instant pot Chana Masala with Kale?

Yes! Omg Yes! Even though its so easy to make the homemade version of chana masala powder, I always end up reaching for this particular brand of Everest Chole Masala powder. Its so flavorful, tangy and aromatic, a perfect blend.

Is it necessary to add Kale?

No, absolutely not! Kale is my own addition to this awesome curry. My kids wont eat salads or any veggies in their raw form. So, I like to add greens to all my recipes, as I always say, A mom’s gotta do what she gotta do! You can use any greens in this recipe. Greens I have used with this recipe are: Spinach, beet greens, Swiss Chards, Lacinato Kale and even Radish Greens. Please feel free to avoid using greens if you don’t like it. This is the curly kale I used in this recipe.

Type of Kale used in kale and chickpeas curry.

How to make the Instant pot Chana Masala or Chole with Kale?

Instant pot Chana Masala with Kale is a one-pot curry and it gets done with no babysitting, I love my Instant pot! I use my 3 quart Instant pot Mini for this recipe. If you want to double the recipe, use a 6 quart Instant pot.

First, Soak the chickpeas for 6-8 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain the water from chickpeas and keep them ready.
In your Instant pot insert, turn on sauté mode on high, add oil and when its hot, add cumin seeds and bay leaf. Cumin seeds go where beans go.
When the cumin seeds splutter, add chopped onions, green chilies, salt and turmeric and sauté till the onions are light brown.
Add Ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute. I make my own ginger garlic paste in bulk and store it for 3 months. Here’s the post for making ginger garlic in bulk: Ginger Garlic Paste – Blissful Bites by Tay
Add chopped tomatoes and sauté till they are soft. Add Chole Masala, Red chili powder, Garam masala and cook till oil starts to ooze out for about 5 minutes. My Garam masala recipe is here: Garam Masala – Blissful Bites by Tay

Process to make chana masala: sautéing onions and tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and chole masala.

Add chickpeas, chopped kale and 3 cups water and stir to mix in all the masalas.
Turn off Sauté mode and close the lid. Turn on Pressure cook/Manual mode, set the timer on Instant pot for 20 minutes and vent in sealing.
When the timer is done, let the pressure release naturally(NPR) and gently mash the chickpeas with a potato masher.
Turn on the sauté mode on medium, add cilantro and let the curry thicken for 10 minutes.

steps to make chole: adding soaked chickpeas, chopped kale, water and pressure cook mode for 20 min.

Frequently asked questions about Chana Masala:

How long should I soak the Chickpeas for Chana masala?

Chickpeas for Chana masala work well when they are soaked for 6-8 hours. I usually soak them overnight for ease. Soaking is very much recommended, as it activates enzymes and decreases phytates, making it easier for digestion.

How long should I cook Dry Chickpeas for Chana Masala?

In case you forgot to soak the chickpeas, dont worry! Pressure cooking for 50-60 minutes will work with dry chickpeas.

Can I use Canned Chickpeas for Chole?

Yes, absolutely! Make sure you drain and rinse your canned chickpeas. After all the onions, tomatoes and spices are cooked, add chickpeas and pressure cook for just 5 minutes.

Will the timing on Instant pot change if I want to double or half the quantity of Chickpeas?

No, keep the time same for any quantity of chickpeas.

What do we eat the Chana masala or Chole with?

We love eating Chana masala with Puri or Bhatura like in my pictures. Roti or paratha is a perfect option as well. My daughter loves mini puris in her lunchbox with Chana masala, its so cute! Rice tastes great with Chana masala as well. You can Pot-in-pot rice with the Chana masala and everything gets done in one shot. After you add chickpeas to the tomato gravy, place a trivet in the curry. Take a bowl that fits in your Instant pot insert and add 1 cup white rice/brown rice and 2 cups water. Place this bowl on the trivet and close the lid. Pressure cook like you normally make the Chana masala.

Yield: 6 servings

Instant pot Chana Masala with Kale

A very popular Indian Chickpeas curry called Chole or Chana Masala made in Instant pot

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Pressure cooking time in Instant pot 20 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups dry Chickpeas
2 tablespoons Avocado oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 large onion roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
5 Thai Green chili
1 tablespoon Ginger-garlic paste (or 1 inch ginger and 2 cloves of garlic coarsely ground)
3 tomatoes roughly diced
1/2 teaspoon Homemade Garam masala / Store-bought masala link shown below
1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder or to taste
Salt to taste
2 tablespoon Chole Masala powder
2 cups roughly chopped Kale
3 cups water
Cilantro or Coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions

Soak the chickpeas for 6-8 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain the water from chickpeas.
In your Instant pot insert, turn on sauté mode on high, add oil and when its hot, add cumin seeds and bay leaf.
When the cumin seeds splutter, add chopped onions, green chilies, salt and turmeric and sauté till the onions are light brown.
Add Ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté till they are soft.
Add Chole Masala powder, Red chili powder, Garam masala and cook till oil starts to ooze out for about 5 minutes.
Add chickpeas, chopped kale and 3 cups water and stir well.
Turn off Sauté mode and close the lid. Turn on Pressure cook/Manual mode, set the timer for 20 minutes and vent in sealing.
When the timer is done, let the pressure release naturally(NPR) and gently mash the chickpeas with a potato masher.
Turn on the sauté mode on medium, add cilantro and let the curry thicken for 10 minutes.

Notes

If you didn't soak your chickpeas and are using dry chickpeas, set the pressure cooking time to 55 minutes.
Store-bought recommendations for ginger garlic paste and Garam masala are shown below.
If you are using canned chickpeas, make the tomato gravy as mentioned above, drain and rinse the chickpeas, add them to tomato mixture and reduce the pressure cooking time to 5 minutes.
Homemade Chana Masala is so easy to make. Please refer to my post above for exact measurements to make homemade masala.
This recipe is made in a 3 quart Instant pot. If you are doubling the recipe, use a 6 quart Instant pot.

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