Instant Pot Chicken Chana -Murg Chana – Chicken Chickpea

I was drawn to this chicken chickpea recipe because it’s so simple, flavorful, spicy, and unique. This Instant Pot Chicken Chana -Murg Chana – Chicken Chickpea is very easy to make.

I tried this at a restaurant in Mumbai, India. Initially, I was apprehensive about the combination of chicken and chickpea. But then I decided to give it a try and absolutely LOVED it. If you like chicken and chickpea, this recipe is FOR YOU! It is AWESOME!

What sort of chicken should I use for Instant Pot Chicken Chana -Murg Chana – Chicken Chickpea?

I personally like chicken breasts, but you can substitute with whatever works for you. For example, chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. I also personally like boneless chicken.

You need to chop the chicken breasts into 2 to 3-inch pieces.

What sort of chickpea should I use for Instant Pot Chicken Chana -Murg Chana – Chicken Chickpea?

I use the dried Kabuli chana also known as garbanzo beans for this recipe. Soak the dry chickpea overnight, discard the water and pressure cook it first. Further, I pressure cook the cooked chickpea again with the chicken and spices. Packaged dried chickpea can be bought in any local supermarket in the bean’s aisle. I buy mine from the Indian grocery store.

 You can also use canned chickpea…although I have not used it. Make sure to discard all the water from the can before cooking. If you do decide to use canned chickpea/ garbanzo beans then a rule of thumb is approximately 1 cup dried beans equals to 3 cups cooked canned beans. So you can use 3 cups of canned beans for this recipe. If you use canned chickpea then you don’t need to pressure cook it initially as the recipe demands. You will throw the chickpea in after the chicken, at step 13.

What should I serve this Instant Pot Chicken Chana – Murg Chana – Chicken Chickpea with?

I usually serve this with steamed rice or naan (Indian flatbread).

How do I make this recipe?

Wash and soak the dried chickpea overnight. Select manual and pressure cook the chickpea in 3 cups of water for 15 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Discard the water and keep the chickpea aside. If you are using canned chickpea you need to eliminate this step since the canned chickpea is already cooked. Just discard the water and keep it aside. 1 cup dried beans equal to 3 cups cooked beans (approximately). So you will use 3 cups of canned chickpea.

Select sauté on the instant pot. Add oil and the whole spices: bay leaf, whole cloves, whole black cardamom pods, a 2-inch piece of cinnamon stick, and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds splutter add chopped onions and the slit Serrano pepper.

When the onions turn golden, add the chopped chicken and ginger garlic paste. Keep stirring occasionally until a white crust forms on the chicken. Add the red chili powder, kashmiri  chili powder and ¼ cup water. Cook for a minute and stir.

Add ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric, salt, ground pomegranate powder and garam masala. Stir. Add the pureed tomatoes and stir. Let it sauté for a minute or two.

Then add the cooked chickpea and stir well. Close the lid and pressure cook for 7 minutes. Quick release the pressure when done.

Add dried fenugreek leaves and stir well. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Tried this recipe yet? Give us a rating, comment below in the reply section and let us know what you think.

Try some of our other recipes:

Instant Pot Dum Aloo

Kashmiri Rajma

Instant Pot Chicken Chana – Murg Chana – Chicken Chickpea

Shilpa

Let’s get cooking

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine North Indian

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup dried white chickpea washed and soaked overnight in 2.5 cups water. (garbanzo beans or kabuli chana)
• 4 tbsp oil or ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
• 2 whole cloves (laung)
• 2 whole black cardamom pods (badi elaichi)
• 1 cinnamon stick (2 inch piece)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1/2 red onion finely chopped
• 1 Serrano pepper slit lengthwise into two halves (green chili pepper)
• 1.5 pounds chicken breasts chopped into 2 to 3 inch pieces (2 cups chopped)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste (either freshly minced in equal quantities or store bought)
• 1 tsp red chili powder
  
  (cayenne pepper)
• 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
• 3 and 1/4 cup water (divided)
• 2 tsp ground coriander (dhaniya powder)
• 1 tsp ground cumin (jeera powder)
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (haldi powder)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/4 tsp ground pomegranate powder
  
  (anardana powder)
• 3/4 tsp garam masala
• 2 medium sized tomatoes pureed (roughly 1.5 cups pureed)
• 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped (dhainya ke patte)

Instructions

 

Prep

• Wash and finely chop the onions and cilantro. Slit the Serrano pepper, and puree the tomatoes. 
• Chop the chicken into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
• Discard the water that was used to soak the chickpea overnight. Keep the chickpea aside.

Cook

• Add the chickpea that was soaked overnight to the inner pot. Add 3 cups of water. Secure the lid on the pot. 
• Select manual and cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. When cooking is complete, quick release the pressure to depressurize.
• Discard the water and keep the cooked chickpea aside in a bowl. Wash the inner pot and dry it.
• Select sauté on the instant pot.
• Add oil to the pot.
• When the oil is hot, add bay leaf, cloves, black cardamoms, cinnamon stick, and cumin seeds.
• When the cumin seeds begin to splutter in about 30 seconds add onions and Serrano pepper. Keep stirring.
  
• When the onions turn golden in about 2 to 4 minutes add the chicken and ginger garlic paste.
• Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until a white crust forms on the chicken. 
• Add the red chili powder, Kashmiri chili powder, and 1/4 cup water. Stir.
• In about 2 minutes when the chili powder gives out color add ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric, salt, ground pomegranate powder, and garam masala. Stir well.
• Add the pureed tomatoes and let them sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Add the cooked chickpea/garbanzo beans and give it a good stir. Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot and scrape the bottom of the pot well.
• Press cancel.
• Secure the lid on the pot.
• Select manual and cook at high pressure for 7 minutes.
  
• When cooking is complete, use quick pressure release to depressurize.
• Add dried fenugreek leaves and give it a good stir.
• Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro.

Serve

• Enjoy with steamed rice.

Notes

• If you do not like your food spicy you can reduce ½ teaspoon of red chili powder and eliminate the Serrano pepper.
• This recipe has been tried on the 6-quart instant pot. The proportions may vary depending on the size of the instant pot you choose to use.
• The recipe is based on soaking the chickpea over-night. 
• On a scale of 1 to 5, I would place this recipe as a spice level of 3.5 if tried as is.
• Ground cayenne pepper and red chili powder can be used interchangeably as both of them make the dish spicy. So if you don’t have red chili powder you can use cayenne pepper instead.
• Kashmiri red chili powder instantly imparts a vibrant red color to any dish and is not very spicy. 
• The whole spices (cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick can be discarded, they don’t need to be consumed).

Keyword Chole Chicken, Instant Pot Chana Chicken, Instant Pot Channa Chicken, Instant Pot Chicken Chickpea, Instant Pot Cholay Chicken, Instant Pot Cholay Masala