Instant Pot Chole Recipe

Restaurant style Indian recipe; Instant Pot Chole is an easy and quick main dish.

Garbanzo beans cooked in tomato onion curry, this pairs wonderfully with kulcha, naan or even steamed rice.

Indian cuisine boasts of so many curries. From different add-ins to different colored and flavored curries, we love them all. And yet there are some that are popular not only among Indians but among other people too.

Paneer Tikka, Chole, Palak Paneer and Paneer Jalfrezi top the list of popular curries. They feature on most Indian restaurant menus, are popular in events and also made commonly in most households.

These pair so well with roti, kulcha, bhatura, parathas or cumin rice. And a side of raita or kachumber makes a complete meal.

Jump to:

• What is Chole
• Why this recipe works
• Making it in the Instant Pot
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Soaked vs Unsoaked Chole
• Serving
• Recipe FAQs
• More Instant Pot Recipes
• Instant Pot Chole

What is Chole

Chole or Chickpea curry is one of the most popular Indian curries. A super versatile curry that pairs brilliantly with breads, samosa or rice; chole is commonly found in Indian restaurants, events and parties! 

The curry is popular by a variety of names and many styles of making it. With variations like no tomato version made with anardana powder to boiling the beans with tea bags to get a dark color; every household has their own recipe for chana masala.

There are minor differences between chole, chana masala and Pindi chana. They all start with the same bean but based on how they are cooked, they may be classified differently. However, sometimes the names are used interchangeably.

Why this recipe works

• It is super easy to make.
• The recipe is naturally Vegan and gluten-free.
• A great source of protein, we use garbanzo beans to make this one.
• This recipe needs just the instant pot and no additional utensils.
• The recipe is easy to customize for kids and adults.
• Great for meal prep, this one freezes really well.
• The same recipe works with canned garbanzo beans and fresh ones.
• It is super versatile recipe for any meal or chaat.
• We only need a handful of ingredients to make this recipe.

Making it in the Instant Pot

Chole is popular to make in so many ways. Traditionally the dry beans are pressure cooked with water and salt till soft. And then the masala and onions tomatoes are cooked and mixed with the cooked beans.

However, making Instant Pot Chole is a game changer. No more pressure cooking the beans separate. We can simply prepare everything for the gravy, cook it all and add soaked chole in it. When pressure cooked, the beans absorb all the flavors of the masala and make a delicious curry. This one pot curry is definitely an easy and delicious one.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Garbanzo Beans: This is the primary ingredient in the recipe. Either soak dry chickpeas or use the directly from the can. Moreover, as we use the instant pot, we can start with dry garbanzo beans as well.
• Tomatoes: The gravy is made with tomatoes. A puree of fresh tomatoes works the best to give the perfect consistency to the chole. Diced tomatoes tend to make the gravy particulate. However, canned tomatoes can be used as well. Simply puree them and use in the recipe.
• Onions: Perfect for some crunch, flavor and taste; I like to add diced onions in the recipe. It can also be blended before adding; but diced works far better.
• Aromatics: The only aromatics we need are garlic and ginger. I like to grate them fine or chop them before adding but puree works as well. Some green chili is great to add too.
• Whole Spices: A bunch of hole spices like cinnamon, bay leaves and cloves are great in the recipe. Adding other spices like cumin seeds, asafetida, mustard seeds, cardamom and star anise works well as well.
• Powdered Spices: A little turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and sugar is great for flavor and taste. Plus, some dhania jeera powder can be added too.
• Chole Masala: This signature spice mix is perfect for flavoring the chole. I like to use chole masala but garam masala will work as well.
• Oil: Any neutral oil is perfect to make the recipe. And so the recipe is Vegan. However, temper everything in ghee for a rustic flavor and the recipe is Vegetarian but not Vegan.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- Add oil to the insert of the Instant Pot and set mode to 'Sauté' and normal.

2- Once the display reads 'hot', add cinnamon, bay leaves and cloves.

3- Once they are aromatic, add garlic and ginger.

4- Sauté till the raw flavor of garlic vanishes and add onion.

5- Mix well and cook till the onions are soft. It takes about 6-7 minutes. Next add salt, chole masala, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Mix well and cook for a few seconds.

6- Deglaze by adding 2-3 tablespoon water.

7- Then add the tomato puree and mix well.

8- Let the mixture cook for 7-8 minutes till it is bubbling. The tomato mix should be bright red by now.

9- Add in the chole and 2 cups water. Mix well.

10- Close the lid, press 'Cancel' and press 'Pressure Cook'. Set pressure to high and time to 15 minutes and move the valve to sealing. Once the Instant Pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then release the remaining pressure manually and open the Instant Pot.

11- Add lime juice, amchur powder and adjust the consistency by adding water if required. 

12- Serve topped with chopped onions and cilantro. Chole is amazing with bhature, puri, roti, kulcha or rice. 

Expert Tips and Notes

• Fresh Ingredients: The best flavor definitely comes from fresh ingredients. Onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger are great when added fresh. While canned or processed ingredients work, they lack the same flavor.
• For the sour flavor: In this recipe I used tomatoes for the sour taste. However, there are a couple of variations possible. Amchur powder, tamarind or anardana powder work as well.
• Chole Masala: I like to add minimum spices like cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves. The rest of the flavor comes from the Chole Masala. However, if you do not like to stock your pantry with every kind of masala; just add garam masala and some peppercorns and cardamom.
• Canned Garbanzo Beans: If you would rather use canned garbanzo beans for the recipe; it works too. Just drain the chickpeas and follow the recipe. Just adjust the time to 12 minutes and reduce water to 1 cup.
• Making dark brown Chole: The dark color of chole is easy to attain. To do so, simply 1 teaspoon loose black tea or 2 tea bags to a cup of hot water and mix well. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes. Then drain and use that water instead of plain water. This imparts a dark color to the chole without actually bringing in any tea taste. Beware, this will have some caffeine.

Soaked vs Unsoaked Chole

As we use the Instant Pot to cook the chole, we can start with dry garbanzo beans or soaked ones. The soaked ones cook faster compared to dry ones. However, the dry ones work too. They have to be cooked for a much longer time though.

While only the cooking time differs, I always soak all my legumes for health benefits. Make a choice based on the availability of time and planning. I strongly recommend planning ahead and soaking them overnight.

Serving

Instant pot Chole is a super versatile recipe. It is great as a main dish with some rotis, parathas or cumin rice. Add a side of raita or kachumber for a complete meal.

Moreover, it can be used in so many other recipes like Samosa Chaat, Chole Naan Chaat and so on. It is great for any kind of Indian chaat or even Indian inspired meal bowls.

Recipe FAQs

More Instant Pot Recipes