I’m sure you’ve heard of butter chicken, right? Well this instant pot butter chickpea curry recipe has all the butter chicken flavor minus the actual chicken!
I almost don’t want to tell you that this recipe for instant pot butter chickpeas is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free because I am sure that if you didn’t know – you wouldn’t know! You know? π
This dish is just as decadent as butter chicken – it’s rich, creamy, and hearty. A celebratory plant-based meal, perfect for the vegans and vegetarians in your life.
It’s also a great option for meat-eaters looking to switch things up. Make this on a meatless Monday or really any day of the week.
I mean just look at these chickpeas swimming in a spiced, creamy tomato sauce – everyone is going to love this.
DO I NEED TO SOAK DRIED CHICKPEAS OVERNIGHT?
My recipe calls for dried chickpeas, making this dish extremely economical. With an Instant Pot, this dish takes a fraction of the time it’d take to make this on the stovetop and cooking this dish in an electric pressure cooker really infuses the chickpeas with a ton of flavor.
I know there’s always a lot of disagreement over whether or not to soak legumes but I think a lot of Indian families soak beans/legumes prior to cooking. That’s what I do because that’s what my mom taught me and that’s what my grandmother taught her. I think it makes them easier to digest. You do you – but know that if you’re not using pre-soaked beans then you will likely need to cook the chickpeas for longer than the recipe calls for. My method results in perfectly soft and tender chickpeas.
WHAT IF I FORGOT TO SOAK CHICKPEAS? HOW CAN I DO A QUICK SOAK?
You either need to soak the dried chickpeas overnight OR do a quick soak. The amount of water listed in my recipe is whatβs needed for soaked chickpeas. Dried chickpeas absorb a lot of water so if you donβt soak them in advance, the proportion of chickpeas to water will not be correct. Also, I believe that soaking legumes helps them to be more easily digested.
Did you forget to soak the dried chickpeas overnight? You can easily do a quick soak by covering the dried chickpeas with an inch of water and pressure cooking them for 10 minutes with a natural release. Then dump out the water, rinse the chickpeas well and follow the directions for butter chickpeas from there.
If you’ve tried my butter chicken before, then you will love this recipe. And if you haven’t tried it because you don’t eat meat, now you can enjoy this vegan version which is honestly just as good!
Print Instant Pot Butter Chickpeas (Vegan Butter Chicken)
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 2 tablespoons oil of choice
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
Spices
- 1 Β½ teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ΒΌ teaspoon black pepper
- ΒΌ teaspoon cayenne, adjust to taste
- ΒΌ teaspoon ground cumin
Β
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 Β½ cups water
Add later:
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped into large pieces
- Β½ cup (unsweetened) cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk
- Pinch of dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
- Cilantro, garnish
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas in cold water overnight. Drain, rinse and set aside.Β
- Press the sauteΜ button. Add the oil and allow it to heat it up for a minute. Add the onion and stir-fry for 6-7 minutes, or until the onion begins to brown.
- Add the garlic, ginger and spices stir, then add the chickpeas, tomato sauce and water.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 35 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure.
- Add the bell pepper, cream and fenugreek leaves to the pot and mix well.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Notes
- If you are not vegan, then feel free to use ghee instead of oil and heavy cream instead of coconut milk!
- Did you forget to soak the dried chickpeas overnight? You can easily do a quick soak by covering the dried chickpeas with an inch of water and pressure cooking them for 10 minutes with a natural release. Then dump out the water, rinse the chickpeas well and follow the directions for butter chickpeas from there.
Like this recipe? You can find all of my Indian Instant Pot Recipes right here on the blog!
Could canned chick peas be used instead of dried?
Hi SR, canned chickpeas are already cooked so if you use those you really only need to pressure cook for 1-2 minutes just to warm the chickpeas and infuse them with some flavor. Hope that helps π
Hi Ashley, planning to try this using canned chickpeas. With this modification, should we cook the tomato, onion and masalas for 5 – 6min under pressure in IP and then QR and add the canned chickpeas and pressure cook another 1 – 2 mins? Should we QR/NPR after the last step?
Hi Smita, if you’re using canned chickpeas then I’d add them in step 3. A 5 minute cook time will work just fine since the canned chickpeas are already cooked. You will want to use less water too – dried chickpeas absorb water when cooking but since you’re using canned chickpeas that won’t be the case. You can also let it NPR to try and infuse more flavor (though QR will work too!). Let me know how it goes!
yummy- but you need 2x19oz cans of chickpeas.
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This is such a great recipe! I love that it doesn’t use dairy, but you still have the creaminess from the coconut milk! So quick and easy to make!
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Thanks, Maneesha!! Glad to hear that you like it so much! π
I just made this last night. So delicious! My kids loved it too. I used heavy cream instead of coconut cream. Thank you for all of the wonderful recipes!
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Stephanie, I’m so happy to hear that you and your kids liked the recipe! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out π
Just finished cooking our first IP dish…and it was surprisingly successful! Thanks Ashley for taking the time and sharing this recipe. It was right on the money. The Gorbanzo beans were surprisingly soft and next time I will possibly add a little more chilli to make it spicier. We didn’t have cream so replaced it with some whole milk and the result was almost equally good. Thanks again π
Sandip, that’s great to hear! I’m so glad you liked it! π
Can you use coconut oil for the oil part? to saute
Yes definitely – the coconut oil may add a slight coconut flavor to the dish as long as you’re okay with that!
Hi Ashley,
I absolutely ADORE Indian food. I’m really hoping there are ways to make these traditional and savory dishes like Butter Chicken and Butter Channa WITHOUT tomatoes…do you think it’s possible? I’m going to try the AIP (Auto-Immune Protocol) diet, which forbids Nightshades including potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, etc. Funnily enough, your blog was linked from a Paleo/AIP web site as a recommended source!
Hi Amy! I’m not sure if it would be possible to make these dishes without tomatoes… are you in my Indian Instant Pot group on facebook? You may want to ask there – hopefully someone else following an AIP diet can help!
Hi! I’m trying to be more vegetarian this year and also cook more (now that I have an IP woo!).
How would this dish differ from chana masala?
Can’t wait to give this a try! looks delicious!
Hi Joanna! Chana masala has a very different flavor – this dish tastes more like butter chicken but without the chicken. Do you have my cookbook? If so, I have an excellent recipe for chana masala (also known as chole) in there!
This was delicious! Thank you for another great recipe!!
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Rebekah, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you π
Hi Ashley, can I use kala channa instead if garbanzo . Will the cook time change?
Hi Shoba! I haven’t tried this using kala chana but I have a feeling it’ll be great in this – I would change the cook time to 45 minutes. Please let me know how this turns out for you!
Could you add rice into the IP? if so when?
Raleigh, I’m not sure this will work as a good pot-in-pot dish because chickpeas take a lot longer to cook than rice does. If you were going to give it a try though then maybe try it with brown basmati rice – since it’ll be above the chickpeas it will take longer to cook and might actually work. If I give this a try I will update the post – let me know if you try as well!
Ashley, I made this recipe last week and loved it! I want to double it now. Do I need to adjust the pressure cooking time?
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Vic, that’s so great to hear! You can leave the cook time the same π Because the pot will have more in it, you’ll likely notice that it’ll take longer to build pressure and it will also take longer to release pressure. Hope that helps!
Hi! Thank you π I canβt wait to try this recipe. Do you think it will be ok to make this recipe oil free?
Hi Fareen! I think you will need oil to sautΓ© the onions – unless you have a nonstick pot. Let me know how this works out for you!
We typically use a mix of veggie broth and water, by the teaspoon, to sautΓ© onions. The dry spices won’t toast as well, but it’s a trade off. Or you could try aquafaba, which is the liquid from cooked or canned beans.
While trying to eat healthier, I sometimes make this recipe for myself at the start of the week and make portions for myself for each lunch. I love it! How many servings would you say this makes?
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Georgia, that’s great to hear! It really depends on what else you serve it with but my guess is 4-6?
Delicious!! Do you think thereβs an easy way to add potatoes or cauliflower to it?
Hi Amy, due to the long cook time the only way to add potatoes and cauliflower would be once it’s done. I would cut the potatoes into very small pieces and leave the cauliflower in big chunks then try pressure cooking for 2 minutes (I normally do 4 minutes for 1-inch potato pieces but that would turn the cauliflower to mush). I hope that works – let me know!
Thank you – Iβll give that a try!
Hi Ashley. Can I make this recipe with the onion masala. How much of that masala would I need to use?
Hi Pallavi! I haven’t tested the right quantity for this but my guess would be 1 1/4 cup. The good thing about the masala is that you can always stir in more at the end if you think the dish needs it since it’s already cooked π
I’m planning to try this in the instant pot and 35 minutes seems long for soaked chickpeas. Is it that the desired consistency is very soft? I see other cookbooks cook soaked chickpeas for only 12-15 minutes.
Also how would you modify this recipe to use your onion masala? Thanks.
Hi May, yes, the desired consistency is very soft. You can try it for less time and see how you like it! As for onion masala with this recipe, I’m sure you can use it but I haven’t tested the amount. Let me know how this goes for you!
Can you use anything else in place of a pressure cooker?
She’s got a fabulous recipe for regular stove-top butter chicken. I’d pre-cook the beans (boil them to your preferred texture or even slightly under-done) and then do everything else according to the chicken recipe. I have made that butter chicken recipe a dozen times now, and it’s one of the best internet finds I’ve ever discovered. Let us know how you made out, I want to make this for my vegetarian friend next week. π
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I inaugurated my IP Ultra with this recipe. Very tasty all around and approved by all except, my pickiest teenager. Do you think buttermilk would hold up in place of heavy cream? My kids prefer a sour taste vs. sweeter taste of the heavy cream.
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Happy to hear that! And as for buttermilk, I’m sure that’d taste great too! If they prefer sour, you could also try adding a bit of tamarind paste? Just an idea!
Do you think I could use the Onion Masala with this?
Yes, I’m sure that will work though I haven’t tested it to know the amount needed. Let us know how it goes!
This was so delicious! Highly recommend it!
Just a note: If you do not soak the chickpeas ahead of time, increase the water to 4 cups. I forgot to soak mine, and knowing that they would absorb extra water, I increased the amount. 4 cups turned out to be just about perfect.
Unsoaked chickpeas will also take longer to cook. (I think I got a particularly tough batch of chickpeas. At 40 minutes they were still crunchy β thatβs the maximum suggested cook time for unsoaked chickpeas in the Instant Pot recipes booklet. Even after 60 minutes, they were just barely done. Again, I think that length of time was just my particular chickpeas β Iβd start with 40 minutes and check them then.)
Carrie, so happy to hear that you liked the butter chickpeas! And also thanks for sharing those tips! I’m sure they will help other readers π
Thanks Ashley for your awesome recipes.Can I use tomatoes instead of canned tomato sauce.
Hi Sincy, thanks so much for the kind words! Yes, you can use fresh tomatoes just be sure to sautΓ© them to cook them down (canned tomato sauce is cooked down). Let me know what you think!
Oh man, this is delicious. The sauce really does taste like butter chicken sauce. I am about 80% paleo but I eat some smaller legumes sometimes like chickpeas and lentils, so as soon as I saw this I knew I had to make it. To bump up the veggie content I also stirred in 2 cups raw baby spinach and served over cauliflower rice. I will absolutely be making this again. Thank you!!
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Monique, so happy to hear that you liked it! And I love that you added baby spinach and ate it with cauli rice!
Iβve never rated a recipe before but this was SO good, I had to!! We halved the tomato sauce and replaced it with water. We also didnβt have a bell pepper. Still absolutely amazing and 3-year-old approved. Yay! We will have to check out more of your recipes. Thanks for sharing!
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Taylor, I’m so happy to hear that you and especially your kiddo liked the recipe! I hope you’ll let me know what you think of anything else you make π
Does the bell pepper get added raw at the end? Am I missing something?
Hi Ian, yes I add it at the end – it’ll soften a bit from the heat but still have some crunch to it. You can also press the sautΓ© button and cook it until it’s tender to your liking.
Thanks! This was delicious. I liked the crunch from the bell pepper.
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Ian, I’m so happy to hear that π Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Oh my this chickpeas recipe is unbelievably delicious. I followed this recipe word for word and the result was finger-licking good! I am new to the world of instant pot cooking and I have tried out only a handful of recipes in my IP, all from your website. All of them were easy to follow and delicious. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you so much, Ashley! <3
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Swati, I’m so happy to hear that you like the butter chickpeas so much – and that you’re enjoying my other recipe! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you π I can’t wait to hear what you think of other recipes that you try!
Can I use fresh fenugreek instead of dried? I’m not making it for a few days so I would have time to dry it. Also, I’d to add some additional vegetables- do you think green beans would be good?
Hi Mary, fresh fenugreek isn’t as strong in flavor as kasoori methi (dried fenugreek) so it won’t give it the same flavor. As for green beans, I’m sure they’d be good π The only thing to keep in mind with adding veggies is that you may need to adjust the spices.
Hi,thank you for these delicious recipes. Have you tried making this with your onion masala recipe?
Hi Ritika! I have not! If you try let us know how it goes! And when I do get around to trying I will be sure to update the post π
This looks lovely! Can I just ask, does it freeze well or might it go mushy when frozen and reheated?
Lisa, thank you! It should freeze well – chickpeas usually hold up pretty well π Hope you enjoy the dish!
Another winner! After a long, busy week I was craving something warm, comforting, easy and FAST…and this recipe fit the bill perfectly. I used 3 cans of cooked chickpeas and only about a half cup of water and it turned out perfectly.
My favorite thing about your recipes (besides how yummy they are) is that they are well-explained and can be made with things that I almost always have on-hand. My confidence in making Indian dishes has increased so much since I started following your recipes because they always turn out great. Keep them coming!
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Mary, I’m so happy to hear that you’re liking my recipes and feeling more confident when cooking Indian dishes! That makes my day π Thanks for letting me know how the butter chickpeas turned out for you π
I am from the UK so we don’t have tomato sauce. What exactly is this and what would be an equivalent. We commonly have canned chopped tomatoes, passata, tomato purΓ©e and of course fresh tomatoes
I just got my Instant Pot and so I’m staring off with easier recipes. I made this tonight. Doubled the recipe and it was excellent. The way that the spices all came together was superb. I didn’t have tomato sauce so I used crushed tomatoes and it made no difference in the taste (at least we didn’t though). Thanks so much for this recipe — this is definitely a keeper π
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I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you π
Hi there!
Can I add the bell pepper earlier, so that it gets cooked with the rest of the meal? I’m not a fan of raw or raw-ish bell pepper. (If not, I can saute them ahead of time, and then add them in later, but I’m wondering if they can be cooked with the rest) Thanks!
Hi, you definitely can add it sooner if you don’t mind really soft bell pepper π
What is the minimum soak time for the chickpeas? Thanks!
Would this taste just as good with regular cream?
Yup π
My daughter needs to eat 2 oz of both chickpeas and lentils per day for an allergy desensitization program she is going through. It’s a very specific amount so I freeze things in small ball hard to defrost. I have been freezing your mango chicken and seperately adding chickpeas and lentils after defrosted. Do you think the chickpeas in this would freeze and defrost well? I could just stir in lentils once defrosted.
Annie, good luck with this!! I hope it all works out π I think it would be okay – but I’d ask your program if freezing the legumes changes the protein or anything important about it?
I don’t have fenugreek leaves, is it a huge deal in terms of taste if I don’t add the pinch required?
Shelly, it’ll still be tasty without the leaves – if you can get them do add them next time. Even the extra pinch makes them taste more restaurant-like π
YUMMY!
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Glad you liked it!!
Delicious! Instead of coconut cream I used a box of creamed coconut and it turned out very creamy.
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Chuck, that’s great to hear! I’m so glad you liked the butter chickpeas! π
Delicious! I substituted garam masala with curry powder cause that was all I had in pantry. I will definitely make again with the garam. My husband LOVED it! He said where did you get this?? hahaha. I made it! Thanks so much for a tasty, satisfying, and quick mid-week meal π
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Sharon, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how this turned out for you and your hubby π
This is just fantastic. I don’t have an Instant Pot, so I just cooked it on the stove top. (Didn’t have tomato sauce so I just pureed a can of stewed tomatoes.) Thank you for this, and all your wonderful recipes.
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Raquel, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how the butter chickpeas turned out for you π
My vegan BFF and I made this together (she’s in Arizona and i’m in Georgia) on Facetime since she JUST got an instant pot. It was amazing!! She loved it, I loved it, i did not miss the chicken! – Thank You!
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Nan, that is so awesome!! I love that you guys did this over facetime!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you both and for sharing that sweet story π
I write this as I just finished my second serving. WOW! Absolutely amazing dish that will now be one of our regular dinners. Butter chicken was one of our favorites before transitioning to a plant based diet. We won’t miss it now that we have this recipe!
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Sarah, I’m so happy to hear that you like this recipe so much! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you π
Do you happen to know how many this portion can serve?Thanks so much
I’d say like 4-5
Hi Ashley, if I were to use heavy cream, which brand (US) would you recommend? I usually use half and half but not sure if thereβs a better option that tastes more βIndianβ?
Hi Resh! Any brand is fine – I usually always go for organic heavy whipping cream. I currently have Organic Valley in my fridge π
Absolutely delicious!
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Nicole, so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how they turned out for you π
My husband enjoyed this recipe so much that he asked that we cook it for his birthday dinner. Thank you for sharing these delicious recipes. You’re right; the kasoori methi makes the dish that much better.
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Anne, that makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for letting me know how much your hubby liked this π
I had to cook the chickpeas 10 minutes longer to get them buttery soft.
My own couple of hacks:
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
The fenugreek leaves really lend an authentic taste and aroma.
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Thanks for sharing π
So good! And very easy! Thanks so much for all of your amazing recipes π
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Nik, so glad you liked this recipe! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you π
Made the non-vegan version, with butter and heavy cream, for the first time tonight. Instant Classic. I donβt want to oversell it but I will never forget the first time I opened my instant pot and tasted this. Seriously, this is life-changing stuff. My wife and I will be enjoying it for a long time to come. Thank you.
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Dave, feel free to oversell any of my recipes lol! Thank you for letting me know how this turned out for you and your wife π
OMG!! I cooked this recipe tonight, and it is the BEST recipe for chickpeas I have ever made!!! I made it with canned chickpeas and eat it without rice. I highly recommend it as an alternative chickpea recipe.
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Cynthia, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked this recipe π
Big hit with everyone! Delicious and very filling. Question: does this freeze ok?
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Hi Anna, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you π I haven’t tried freezing this dish but don’t see why not – please let me know how it goes if you do. Hopefully another reader can help answer this as well.
Do you have a suggestion of what to make with the remainder of the coconut milk in the can after using the full fat at the top for this recipe? I do own your cookbook as well if there is a recipe in there you can suggest. Trying to be thoughtful of waste
Hi Angie, you can use it in any dal recipe or save it for a smoothie. If I don’t have use for the leftover milk right away, I freeze it in an ice cube tray and then just stir it into a cooked dal that has thickened up. Hope that helps! This is a great dal to try if you haven’t yet: https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-kerala-parippu-curry/
Do I put the coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight so that the cream separates from the liquid?
Family favorite, and friends often ask for the recipe. I always throw some potatoes in, because I love them in curries. If using canned garbanzos, you can adjust instant pot cook time to 7 mins or so. I like to add a splash of liquid aminos (like soy sauce) after cooking too. Thank you for the great recipe!
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Emily, that’s so awesome to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this and also for sharing those tips!
i have to say, after 35 min, my chickpeas were still crunchy. Very disappointing. i’m ‘trying 15 min more, but honestly, the crowd is getting rowdy. plus i had timed it to go out after. Now im’ delayed and nothing else to feed people. the timing should be increased a lot, or else, should be used with canned chickpeas. i’m afraid this will still not be done in another 15 min.
Tania, and this is with soaked chickpeas? If so, that’s surprising… I wonder if perhaps the beans are very old? Typically old beans take longer to cook and sometimes don’t cook well at all. I hope it turned out okay!
I don’t have any fenugreek leaves would it make. A huge difference if I didn’t include them?
Hi Oliver, you can leave them out if you don’t have them – it’ll still be great! The fenugreek leaves do make this dish taste more restaurant-like so I would suggest getting them if you can in the future.