Learn how to make an easy, delicious North Indian style chana masala recipe in a pressure cooker. This quick, one-pot chole masala gravy pairs wonderfully with puffy poori, soft chapathi, or bhatura. Follow my step-by-step photos and video to make it at home in 25 minutes!
You will not believe if I say this is the first time I am trying North Indian style Chana masala recipe using a pressure cooker. Usually I make South Indian hotel style chana kurma for chapathi. Even though I have tasted chana masala (Kabuli chana curry) in Punjabi and other North Indian restaurants, I haven’t tried at home.
Recently my friend Shalini was suggesting me to try this easy chana masala recipe using Everest Chana masala/Chole masala spice mix powder. She told me to follow the recipe given on the pack. As I had already tried Chole recipe using homemade chole masala powder in my Punjabi thali post, I wanted to find the taste of chana masala using store bought powder. So I tried Chana bhatura for our weekend breakfast. I prepared few poori as well. We all loved its taste and I prepared again for their lunch box too.
Actually I wanted to post both Chana masala and bhatura recipes today but bhatura din’t come out so well as expected. I will try to make a perfect bhatura recipe and share it soon. So today I am sharing this easy, one pot chana masala gravy using a pressure cooker. If you have homemade or store bought chana masala powder and cooked chickpea in hand, making this recipe is a breeze. This is a perfect bachelor style recipe.
As a disclaimer, I would like to mention that this is not the authentic chana masala recipe or restaurant style one. This is just a simple, no grind version that would help working women, busy housewives and bachelors to make a quick side dish for chapathi, poori and bhatura. If you like, you can have it mixed with rice as well.
Lets see how to make easy chana masala at home with step by step photos and video.
Finally, do check out my Kabuli biryani recipe (chana dal biryani) and chana sundal recipes if interested!
Quick Notes for US & Abroad Kitchens
- Using canned chickpeas: If you are pressed for time, a 15 oz can of organic garbanzo beans / chickpeas (from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or Costco) works wonderfully. Rinse and drain them thoroughly before adding. Since canned chickpeas are already cooked soft, simmer the gravy for 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat or pressure cook for just 1 whistle.
- Stovetop heat management: On electric coil or glass cooktops, sauté the chopped onions on medium heat (setting 5–6) so they brown evenly without burning. Keep the heat on medium-low when pressure cooking so the masala does not scorch at the bottom.
- Instant Pot method: Use SAUTE mode to brown the onions, tomatoes, and spices with oil and ghee. Add the water, mashed chana, and cooked chickpeas, then seal the lid and pressure cook on Manual / High Pressure for 5 minutes with natural pressure release (NPR).
- Chana masala spice powder: Everest Chole Masala or MDH Chana Masala is easily available in Indian grocery stores like Patel Brothers or online. If you do not have it, use 1 tsp garam masala powder and 1/2 tsp amchur (dry mango powder) as mentioned in the notes.
Chana Masala Recipe – Easy Chana Masala in a Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Kabuli chana / white chickpeas (approx. 150g, soaked for 8 hours)
- 1 + 1 tbsp Cooking oil + ghee
- 1 no Big onion (finely chopped)
- 3 nos Ripe tomato (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 tsp Dhania powder (coriander powder)
- 2 tsp Chana masala powder (Everest or MDH brand)
- 1 no Green chilli (slit)
- 1 inch Ginger (thinly sliced)
- ½ tsp Chat masala powder
- ½ tsp Kasoori methi (crushed)
- Coriander leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Wash and soak white chickpeas/kabuli chana in water for 8 hours or overnight. It gets doubled after soaking. Pressure cook in low flame for 3 whistles adding required salt and water. Take 1/4 cup cooked chana and mash it well. Set aside.
Heat oil + ghee in a pressure cooker. Saute finely chopped onion, slit green chilli and thinly sliced ginger. Saute for a minute. Add finely chopped tomato and salt, saute until mushy.
- Now add the red chilli powder, dhania powder, chana masala powder. Mix well. Add 1 cup of water, 1/4 cup mashed chana, 1 cup cooked chana and mix well. Note that you can also add uncooked chana directly after soaking but chana won’t cook soft. In that case, you should add a big pinch of baking soda in the gravy.
- Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles. Remove the lid after steam is released. Add chat masala powder, crushed kasoori methi. Mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves if you like.
- Mix well and serve with poori, chapathi or bhatura! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Adjust the quantity of spice powders as per your taste.
- You can add the spice powders after sauting onion, then add tomatoes. This was given in the Everest pack. But I added the masala powders after adding tomato.
- If you want to replace chana masala powder, add 1 tsp garam masala powder + 1/2 tsp aamchur powder.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes friends, you can easily use canned chickpeas! Just rinse and drain a 15 oz can of chickpeas well under running water. Add them along with 1 cup of water and pressure cook for just 1 whistle, or simply simmer in an open pan for 5 to 7 minutes until the gravy thickens.
Mashing 1/4 cup of cooked chana is my favorite tip for this recipe. Since we are not grinding an onion-tomato paste, the mashed chickpeas naturally thicken the gravy and give it that rich, restaurant-style body.
If you don’t have store-bought chana masala powder at home, you can substitute it with 1 teaspoon of homemade garam masala powder and 1/2 teaspoon of amchur (dry mango powder) for that mild tangy touch.
This chana masala gravy tastes incredible when served hot with puffed pooris, soft chapathis, or bhatura. You can also enjoy it mixed with warm jeera rice or plain basmati rice for a quick lunch!
Try this easy, one pot chana masala for poori/bhatura or Chapathi!
