Grab your Instant Pot and whip up this easy chickpea curry in moments. A cozy meal everyone will love.
Today’s recipe for Instant Pot chickpea curry is one of those recipes that I keep in my back pocket for whenever I Just Can’t Even. It’s made mostly out of items are pantry staples — canned chickpeas, canned diced tomatoes, canned coconut milk, an onion, a couple of carrots, a variety of spices and cilantro. My kids are obsessed with the creamy tomato sauce, the chickpeas and the heaps of steamed white rice that I serve with it. With the Instant Pot, it’s even faster to make than on the stove, which really leaves zero excuses not to make it a part of your weeknight rotation.
This Instant Pot chickpea curry frequently finds its way to our dinner table on Monday nights. Do you find Mondays the hardest day of the week to plan meals for? I do. I try to make one big dinner for our whole family on the weekends, and by Mondays I’m already spent from a weekend full of running around and trying to keep up with our two very rambunctious, very overeager kids. In a perfect world, I’d roll into Monday with some amazing meatless meal, my house would be sparkling clean and I’d be well on my way to figuring out the secret to world peace. 
I throw in all of the ingredients into the pot and hit the “soup” function just before I head out to pick the kids up from school, and by the time we get home all I have to do is spoon it out onto bowls of rice (or, if I’m feeling extra, super lazy, I just pull naan out of the freezer and toast it in the oven). The kids also love this chickpea curry with dollops of Greek yogurt on top; the yogurt is a nice, cool contrast to the zesty chickpeas. I love this dish because it makes me feel like I haven’t just thrown my hands up and said, “You know what? Whatever,” at my family. It’s the minimal effort + maximum output that really makes this dish worth it.
For other easy, kid-friendly recipes I’ve made in the past, click here.
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Quick Chickpea Curry in the Instant Pot
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Vegetarian, Vegan
Description
Cozy up with this quick chickpea curry. Perfect for a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (397 g) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 cans (1100 g) chopped tomatoes
- 1 small onion or 1/2 large onion (diced)
- 2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 can (397 g) full fat coconut milk
- chopped cilantro (for garnishing)
- white rice (for serving (at least 1 cup (237 ml) uncooked))
Instructions
- Heat your Instant Pot using the “Saute” function. Pour in the olive oil and let it heat to a shimmer.
- Add the onions and carrots and saute for 7-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the carrots are soft and the onions are slightly translucent. Add the spices (cumin, ground cloves, turmeric, ground coriander, and salt) and continue cooking until the onions are soft.
- Add the garlic and ginger, stirring and cooking for 1 additional minute.
- Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, and coconut milk, stirring to combine.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and select the “soup” function. Let cook, then either use the natural release to let the steam out gradually, or use manual steam release (letting the Instant Pot automatically switch to the warm function for 10 minutes, then releasing the steam and opening the Pot).
- Remove the lid and stir again. If the chickpea curry is too watery, switch to the saute function and let the curry reduce for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately over white rice or naan, with chopped cilantro (optional: add a dollop of plain Greek yogurt).
Notes
- For a richer flavor, toast the spices in the oil for 1-2 minutes before adding the vegetables.
- If you don’t have coconut milk, use an equal amount of full-fat cream or cashew cream.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pressure Cooking
- Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 15
- Protein: 15
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use dried chickpeas instead of canned for this recipe?
While canned chickpeas are recommended for convenience and speed, you can use dried chickpeas if you soak them overnight and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
What can I substitute for coconut milk if I don’t have any?
You can use unsweetened almond milk or a combination of vegetable broth and a little bit of cream for a similar creamy texture, but it will alter the flavor slightly.
How do I adjust the spice level in this chickpea curry?
To increase the spice level, you can add more curry powder or include ingredients like cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes according to your taste.
