This low-carb, protein filled Kashmiri Palak Chana – Instant Pot Spinach Chickpea Curry, has spinach, chickpea, a few spices that brings the taste of spinach up to a whole new level.
If you check out my recipe category for Kashmiri recipes, you will see that I’ve written a lot of Kashmiri recipes.
Instant Pot Kashmiri Rajma – Rajma Masala Instant Pot
Kashmiri Chicken Kofta Curry – Instant Pot Chicken Meatballs
Daikon Radish Kashmiri Curry – Instant Pot Spicy Mooli
What sort of chickpea should I use for Kashmiri Palak Chana – Instant Pot Spinach Chickpea Curry?
Dried Kabuli chana also known as garbanzo beans have been used for this recipe. Soak the dry chickpea overnight in 1.5 cups water, discard the water used for soaking. Then pressure cook the chickpea first with 1 cup fresh water. Furthermore, pressure cook the cooked chickpea again with the spinach and spices for two minutes. 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. The chickpea will expand and will become slightly over a cup.
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 spinach is sautéed and the spices are added. Add about 3/4 cup water to the chickpea when you add it to the pot, if using canned chickpea.
What should I serve with this recipe?
Serve this with steamed rice of naan (Indian flat bread).
What ingredients do I need to make Kashmiri Palak Chana – Instant Pot Spinach Chickpea Curry?
Oil, asafoetida, whole dried red chili pepper, spinach, ground fennel, ground ginger, Kashmiri chili powder, ground cumin, salt, serrano peppers, soaked chickpeas and water.
Spinach:
I have used fresh baby spinach. Can I use regular spinach too? Certainly!
How do I make this recipe?
Rinse and soak the dried chickpea overnight in 1.5 cups water. Discard the water before cooking.
First, add the chickpea in the inner pot. Add fresh 1 cup water. Close the lid. Select manual and pressure cook the chickpea in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Keep the chickpea and the water remaining aside in a bowl. Don’t discard the water. It will be used to cook the spinach. When using canned chickpea you need to eliminate this step since the canned chickpea is already cooked. Just discard the water and keep it aside.
Firstly, rinse the spinach well in cold water.
Secondly, select sauté on the Instant Pot. Thirdly, add in oil to the pot. Further, add in asafoetida, and dried red chili pepper.
Remove the red chili pepper and keep it aside. We do this to prevent the red chili from getting crushed.
Next in 30 seconds, add in spinach and stir well. Let the spinach sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, keep stirring intermittently. Moreover, the spinach should shrivel.
Using an immersion blender coarsely blend the spinach for a few seconds. Also, don’t blend it super fine. It needs to have some texture. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a potato masher or the back of a ladle.
Subsequently, add in ground fennel, ground ginger, ground cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder, the removed whole dried red chili pepper back and salt. Stir well.
Furthermore, add in the chickpea and water mix, and serrano peppers. Stir well.
Press cancel. And, secure the lid on the pot and select manual/high pressure for 2 minutes. Finally, when done quick release the pressure.
Tried this recipe yet? Also, give us a rating, comment below in the reply section and let us know what you think.
Kashmiri Palak Chana – Instant Pot Spinach Chickpea Curry
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp oil of choice
- 1/3 tsp asafoetida (heeng)
- 1 whole dried red chili peppers
- 10 cups baby spinach {16 oz, 454 grams}
- 1/2 tbsp ground fennel (saunf powder)
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (sonth)
- 1 tsp ground cumin (jeera powder)
- 3/4 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 and 1/4 tsp salt {divided}
- 1/2 cup dried white chickpea washed and soaked overnight in 1.5 cups water. (garbanzo beans or kabuli chana) (will expand when soaked and will be over a cup after expanding)
- 2 serrano peppers slit lenghtwise but still intact (small) (hari mirch small, optional)
- 1 cup water {for boiling and cooking the chicpea}
Instructions
Prep
- Rinse and soak the dried chickpea overnight in 1.5 cups water. Discard the water before cooking.
- Rinse the spinach well in cold water. No need to chop the spinach since we will use an immersion blender later. Slit the serrano peppers lengtwise but keep them still intact.
Cook
- First, add the soaked chickpea (water discarded) in the inner pot. Add 1 cup fresh water and 1/4 tsp salt. Close the lid. Select manual and pressure cook for 15 minutes. Quick release the pressure when done. Keep the chickpea and water aside in a bowl. Don’t discard the water. It will be used to cook the spinach.
If you are using canned chickpea you can eliminate this step. Incase of canned chickpea discard all the water from the can. We will use fresh water to cook it with spinach. - Select sauté on the Instant Pot. Add in oil to the pot. Further, add in asafoetida, and dried red chili pepper. Saute the chili pepper and asafoetida for a minute till fragrant.
- Remove the red chili pepper and keep it aside. We do this to prevent the red chili from getting crushed.
- Next in 30 seconds, add in spinach and stir well. Let the spinach sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, keep stirring intermittently. Moreover, the spinach should shrivel.
- Using an immersion blender coarsely blend the spinach for a few seconds. Also, don’t blend it super fine. It needs to have some texture. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a potato masher or the back of a ladle.
- Subsequently, add in ground fennel, ground ginger, ground cumin, Kashmiri red chili powder, the whole dried red chili pepper back and 1 tsp salt. Stir well.
- Furthermore, add in the chickpea and water mix, and serrano peppers. Stir well. You dont need to add any extra water. The water used to boil the chickpea will be used here.If you are using canned chickpea add only the chickpea with 3/4 cup fresh water.
- Press cancel. And, secure the lid on the pot and select manual/high pressure for 2 minutes. When done quick release the pressure.
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