Instant Pot® Chickpea Masala

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown basmati rice
• Spice Mix:
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, minced
• 1 green Thai chile, minced (Optional)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

Step 1

Rins the rice well under cold water. Transfer it to a small oven-safe dish that will fit inside your Instant Pot. Add enough water to cover the rice and set it aside while you prepare everything else.

Step 2

Mix together the cumin seeds, amchur, coriander, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, black pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl—this will be your spice blend.

Step 3

Pour the chickpeas into the Instant Pot and add 2 cups of cold water. Lock the lid in place and set it to cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, allowing some time for the pressure to build. Once done, let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes, then carefully release any leftover pressure manually. Open the lid, scoop out the chickpeas, and save the cooking liquid.

Step 4

Turn on the sauté function and heat a bit of oil in the pot. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and bay leaf, cooking until the onion softens and becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in your spice mix, minced garlic and ginger, chopped Thai chile, and about 1/4 cup of the reserved chickpea liquid. Cook for another minute until the spices smell fragrant, then turn off sauté.

Step 5

Add the chickpeas back in along with the rest of the cooking liquid, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste. Place the trivet inside the pot. Drain the rice and put it back into the dish, topping it with 1 1/4 cups of fresh water. Set the dish on the trivet, close and lock the lid again, and cook on high pressure for 25 minutes. After cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully do a quick release for any remaining pressure before opening the lid.

Step 6

Carefully lift out the rice dish and fluff the rice with a fork. Remove the trivet and bay leaf from the pot. Use an immersion blender to pulse the chickpeas a couple of times—just enough to make the sauce creamy but still have some texture. Serve the chickpea masala alongside the rice on plates and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. Enjoy!