Instant Pot Chickpeas (soaked)

Learn to cook soaked chickpeas or Garbanzo beans using instant pot and use them in your kitchen to make some delicious dishes. Step by step recipe to get soft tender perfectly cooked instant pot chickpeas.

Chickpeas also called Kabuli chana in India. These are staple food in South Asian, Middle Eastern and African cuisines.

They are nutritious staple of many people around the world.

Cooking dried chickpeas is much easier and tastes better with control of what texture we want. So, prefer to cook dried ones than buying canned ones.

Here is a simple and easy method to make chickpeas in instant pot. Pre-soaked chickpeas are cooked in instant pot for 15 minutes and pressure is released naturally.

You can pressure cook chickpeas in large quantities and freeze for later use.

If soaked, chickpeas can be cooked in 10 to 15 minutes. However, if you prefer no-soak method, then it takes 30 to 40 minutes using instant pot.

Check a quick video of how to cook dried chickpeas in instant pot in the recipe card and try this in your kitchen. If you have enjoyed the video do subscribe to Dice n Cook Youtube channel for more food videos.   

What are chickpeas?

Chickpeas are dried garbanzo beans. These are high protein vegan ingredients used in many recipes of snacks, soups and curry. They are important plant-based protein source.

In India these are available in different sizes and colour. In Indian subcontinent we find both dark and light varieties. Dark small ones are called kala chana and lighter big ones are Kabuli chana.

Why pressure cook in instant pot or pressure cooker?

Canned chickpeas contain preservatives as they are highly salted. So, cooking your own chickpeas either in instant pot or pressure cooker is best both healthy and cheaper.

Homemade chickpeas taste better compared to canned ones.

Canned chickpeas are salted high in sodium however salt can be controlled while cooking chickpeas in pressure cooker.

We can pressure cook chickpeas in bulk and freeze them.

How to decide on the texture of cooked chickpeas?

Chickpeas used in hummus need to be cooked soft and can be easily mashed well. However, the chickpeas that are used in salad, wraps and stews need to be less cooked or firm to press.

So, all these can be controlled while pressure cooking the dried chickpeas.

What is cooking time of chickpeas?

Based on the freshness and soaking time of chickpeas, cooking time in instant pot varies.

No-soaked chickpeas take long time and overnight soaked chickpeas takes less time.

Also, the cooking time depends on size of dried chickpeas as well.

How many cups of dried chickpeas makes cooked chickpeas?

Dried chickpeas always swell up when soaked in water for 8 to 10 hours. 1 cup of dried chickpeas gives 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.

So based on the quantity of soaked chickpeas, decide on the quantity of water that goes into the cooking in instant pot.

Ingredients

Water: We use water to soak chickpeas and later cook them in instant pot.  

Dried chickpeas: Store brought dried chickpeas is used. These are pest-free and cleaned before use.

Equipment

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 6 Quart is used in cooking.

How to easily cook soaked chickpeas in instant pot?

Soaking:

Soaking bean is important. Soaking the chickpeas will help soften them and make them more digestible. Soaking chickpeas will also give us a uniformly cooked chickpeas.

First step towards achieving perfectly cooked chickpeas in instant pot is soaking in water as they are hard to be eaten as it is.

Two ways of soaking: So, choose the method which suits you

1. This method needs a bit of planning. Simply clean chickpeas by removing stones or any dirt and wash well, soak them in a big bowl for overnight or 6 to 7 hours before cooking. Add enough water to cover above several inches and room for expansion. Rehydrated or soaked chickpeas will expand to double its size
2. If you have less time to soak, you can soak in hot water for 2 hours in a hot box and then proceed further.

If we soak for very long time, fermentation begins, and soaked chickpeas smells bad. So do not soak for long time, also change water for 4 to 5 hours if you are soaking for long time.

Do not soak in vegetable broth or any other liquid. Directly soak in clean water for perfect soaking.

Instant pot cooking chickpeas

Use clean chickpeas and rinse them in clear water using a colander.

Soak them in water overnight for 6 to 8 hours.

Remove the water and add to the inner pot of instant pot. I have taken 2 cups of water

Add water to cover the chickpeas.

Close the instant pot lid with vent in sealing position.

Next set the Instant pot to high pressure and time to 15 minutes.

It takes few minutes for the pressure to build and then timer begins.

When the cooking time is up, turn off the pot and give a natural pressure release (NPR) of 15 minutes. After 15 minutes release the remaining pressure manually.

Steam releases and knob comes down, now open the lid and the chickpeas are cooked well for your use. Strain the liquid or use for making curries.

Storage suggestions:

These cooked chickpeas can be refrigerated or freezed in small batches. Cooking chickpeas in advance and storing them for later use is a time saver. Water drained from cooked chickpeas can also be refrigerated or frozen separately.

Refrigeration: Drain cooked chickpeas and bring them to room temperature. Place them in airtight containers or freezer bags. Make it airtight and keep the container in fridge. Cooked chickpeas last for about 4 to 5 days under refrigeration.

Freezing: Drained chickpeas are brought to room temperature and divided into small portions. They are poured into freezer bags or airtight containers and sealed. Later stored in freezer until use. These last for 2 to 3 months if frozen properly.

The frozen cooked chickpeas need to be defrosted before use. Just place the frozen chickpea jar in fridge directly from freezer. Leave them in fridge for thawing before you plan to use.

Uses of cooked chickpeas

Cooked Chickpeas is nutritionally high protein rich ingredient can be used in salads, pilaf, hummus and they make it a complete meal with others like rice or flatbread.

Instant pot chickpeas cooking notes

Cooking time of chickpeas does not change if the quantity of soaked chickpeas is taken half r double this recipe.

Also, the cooking time depends on the quality of chickpeas. However, unsoaked chickpeas take very long time to cook compared to soaked chickpeas.

Old beans take more time to cook so make sure use fresh ones for this recipe.  

If you feel chickpeas are not cooked enough, and want to soften it more, so just seal instant pot lid again and cook for 5 to 8 minutes.

Dried beans take double the space in volume, so try not to fill more than half the mark in inner instant pot.

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Recipe variations

Adding flavor: Different flavours can be added depending on the uses, bay leaf, cinnamon, garlic can be added while cooking in instant pot.

Soaked and unsoaked: We can use either soaked or unsoaked chickpeas for cooking in Instant pot and adjust the time required for cooking.

Cooking time: Based on the type of chickpea used, cooking time varies. Unsoaked chickpeas takes more time while soaked chickpeas takes less time.

Salt: If we are making a savoury dish using cooked chickpeas, then we can add salt while cooking in instant pot. I prefer not adding salt while pressure cooking it.

Vegetable broth: We can use vegetable broth instead of plain water to cook soaked chickpeas in instant pot.

Frequently asked questions

Can we add baking soda?

Few methods show adding baking soda to cook chickpeas, however I have not used it. It suggests that adding baking soda softens the outer skin of chickpeas. Just add a pinch and not too much will make them unpleasant to taste.

Can we refrigerate the cooked chickpeas?

Yes cooked chickpeas can be stored under refrigeration or frozen for later use.

Why soak beans before cooking?

If you plan to cook dried chickpeas, then most preferred method is soaking as it helps in quicker cooking and making it more digestible.

Can we cook in pressure cooker?

In this recipe, I have cooked using an instant pot, but instead you can always use pressure cooker. Simply add chickpeas with water to pressure cooker and heat for required time. You can use same amount of water as mentioned here.

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