Butter Chickpeas in Instant Pot | Chickpea Tikka Masala

Last updated on February 23rd, 2022 at 02:28 pm

Butter Chickpeas/ Chickpea Tikka Masala made in Instant Pot (step-by-step VIDEO recipe). This creamy and rich curry comes together in 30-minutes and it is a delicious side to serve with Naan Flatbread or Basmati Rice!

This is one of my favorite curries because it is so easy to make and it is extremely delicious. I have been making Matar Paneer Masala (Green Peas with Paneer Cheese) using the same sauce for a long time and then one day when we didn’t have paneer or peas my husband suggested that I make this Butter Chickpeas masala. I did and we all absolutely loved it.

Only after I made it, I came to know that this is popular among modern vegetarians and vegans alike. From then onwards, this curry has been one of our family favorites. Along with it being delicious, it is totally filling. I mean with Chickpeas being one of the protein power sources, one would end up feeling full in one single serving.

Serving Suggestions:

I like to have this chickpea butter masala with naan bread, but we also have it with regular Rotis (chapati). Also, this curry can be served with soft-cooked Basmati Rice and parathas.

See other curry recipes on the blog:

• Super delicious Mushroom Curry recipe
• Soya chunks curry recipe
• One-pot quick and easy Mutton Curry recipe

Nutrition in this curry:

This Butter chickpeas / Chickpea Butter Masala is very healthy and nutritious. It serves 4-6 people but I’m gonna go with 6 servings cos this curry is so fulfilling and it fills tummies so quickly. This is because of the protein content. Each serving has about 282 calories with 9g of protein. And you can make it healthier by swapping out some ingredients ( more on it below).

Storing this Instant Pot Chickpea masala:

This curry has to be immediately stored for later use. This is because chickpeas begin to go bad very quickly. That is of course when living in a tropical country. But even in a colder climate, you should always use caution and smell before you eat. This goes for chickpeas as well as other beans and lentils. I usually don’t keep it in the refrigerator for more than half a day, even for the next day’s use I put it in the freezer.

This Butter Chickpeas masala stays well in the refrigerator for a month. To reheat it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and sprinkle some water to heat it in a microwave. However, you could use the PRESSURE COOK mode in Instant Pot to reheat it. Set it to “0” minutes, yes that’s a thing and that should do it.

Special Diets:

This Butter Chickpeas is a vegetarian curry. Although, it can be veganized and made lactose-free and nut-free. I’ve listed the variations and substitutions here below. And considering the nutritious value, this curry masala is low GI and it is great for diabetics.

See also:

Split Peas curry / Indian Toor Dal recipe

Variations and Substitutions:

Got hate feeling towards sugar? Feel free to skip the sugar altogether or if you’re like me and want your tikka masala/ butter masala to be on a sweeter side, go with brown sugar or honey.

To make this curry Vegan: You can make this Chickpea Butter Masala with Coconut Milk instead of using Cow’s milk, thereby making this curry Vegan. Also, you’d have to skip the butter, but honestly, it tastes delicious with or without Butter. Coconut Milk is even more luscious than whole milk cos the fat content is much higher and coconut milk adds a sweetish note to the curry. But of course, you can even add any other nut milk.

To make this curry with cream: As I mentioned earlier, using milk in place of cream makes this curry lite. But if you’re making to impress your guests, you could use cream to make a super-rich butter chickpeas.

See also:

South Indian Tomato Kulambu / Curry Recipe

What else can you use to make butter chickpeas? You use the same curry sauce and replace chickpeas with any of the following. Although you can make this with just about anything, I find this curry soooo good with an added protein rather than a carb-rich add-in.

• Tofu
• Paneer
• Cauliflower (grilled for an added oomph)
• Soy curls

To make a nut-free Vegan butter Chicken: Skip the cashew nuts if you (or someone in your family) are allergic to cashews. You can use almonds in place but if you’re entirely allergic to nut, skip the nuts and reduce the water you poured into the curry. Cashews are essentially just a thickener so it isn’t the only way to make this curry thick and creamy.

How to make this butter chickpeas / Vegan Butter Chicken / Chickpea butter masala:

The steps are easy to follow and this curry itself is very easy to make. I’ve made this a hundred times and it is impossible to go wrong, provided you follow the measurements to the point.

To make this Butter Chickpea curry, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Cooked Chickpeas – 500g
• Oil – 3 tbsp (mustard or sesame oil or any flavorless oil)
• Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Green chillies – 3, medium
• Onions – 300g
• Ginger-garlic paste – 2 teaspoons
• Tomatoes – 350g, approx 3 medium-sized, Roma variety
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Chilli Powder – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander Powder – 2 teaspoons
• Cashews – 10 whole
• Water – 150 ml
• Milk – 150 ml
• Dried Fenugreek Leaves – 1 + 1/2 teaspoons
• Sugar – 2 teaspoons
• Garam Masala – 1 teaspoon
• Lemons and Cilantro Leaves to garnish

Here are the steps to make this curry:

• The first thing for this curry is to get your Chickpeas ready. You can either use homecooked Chickpeas from dried or use canned (cooked) Chickpeas.
• Next comes the making of the sauce. Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode for 10 minutes. Pour in the oil and let it get hot.
• Once it is hot, add the cumin seeds and let splutter. With a hot enough oil, this should only take a few seconds.
• Next, add the green chilies and the onions and sauté until the onions begin to look translucent. This won’t take much time as compared to caramelizing onions. And don’t try to caramelize the onions, it would alter the taste of the butter chickpeas.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, and salt. Do a quick sauté that will do rather than the usual mushy consistency I call for in most of my recipes.
• Finally add the spice powders: turmeric powder, chilli powder, and coriander powder. Then the water, which is just to prevent scorching so this little water is enough for cooking. PRESSURE COOK for 8 minutes just until it all cooks through. Since the ingredients have already been sauteed, 8 minutes is more than enough.
• After 8 minutes, open the Instant Pot lid and let the mixture cool down completely. Use an immersion blender to blend it all together to a smooth puree. For a smooth (restaurant-style) sauce, pass it through a mesh strainer to remove unbroken solids. More on this in notes.
• Pour the sauce back into the Instant Pot bowl. Add milk, sugar, garam masala, Cooked Chickpeas, 1 teaspoon of Dried Fenugreek Leaves. Close the Instant Pot with its lid and PRESSURE COOK for 10 minutes.
• After the cooking cycle, QUICK RELEASE to let the excess steam out. Add 1/2 teaspoon more of dried fenugreek leaves and stir to combine.
• Squeeze 1/4 lemon and garnish with Cilantro Leaves. Serve hot!

Recipe source: This recipe was created using my Matar Paneer masala as a base!

Here’s a video recipe:

Notes:

• Chickpeas: I’ve used cooked chickpeas here. But if you have soaked chickpeas but haven’t cooked them yet, you can add them to the sauce and set the PRESSURE COOK time to 25 minutes. This method does take a bit more time sometimes (like pre-soaked) and I like to cook chickpeas beforehand and add it to the sauce.
• Blending: If you’re not entertaining or are in a hurry, you can use an Immersion Blender to directly blend it in the Instant Pot. But if you want a perfectly thick and smooth sauce, you have to blend it in a blender and pass it through a mesh strainer. This removes any solids left out in the sauce. 
• Sugar: If you don’t like to add sugar, you can skip it or use honey or brown sugar.
• To make this Vegan: Swap the whole milk with coconut milk or any of your favorite nut milk. Also, skip the butter.
• To adjust the caloric value: Use skimmed milk in place of whole milk. Skip the butter and cashews.
• For more substitutions and variations, scroll up.

Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!