Kerala Kadala Curry Instant Pot Stovetop

It is made at least once every week in most Kerala homes. Kadala means ‘chickpeas.’ Also known as Kala chana, whole Bengal gram. The chickpeas used in this recipe are brown chickpeas, which are different from white chickpeas(garbanzo beans). Brown chickpeas take longer to cook, so I highly recommend soaking overnight or at least 6-8 hours before preparing this dish. Traditional Kerala style, Kadala Curry is spicy and has extra liquid, as it is mainly enjoyed with puttu or appams, or rice. If you like it to be less soupy, you can reduce the water for cooking to 1.5 cups. The traditional way of cooking Kadala Curry (Black chickpeas curry) is to soak chickpeas overnight in water, boil them using a pressure cooker, and then cook in the onion-tomato masala, coconut paste, and spices finally, add the tempering into the curry. Try out other chickpeas curry from my blog, like Chana Masala, Chickpea Coconut curry, Beetroot Chickpea Stir fry, Chickpea Biryani, Kala Chana Chaat (Salad). This is the Instant Pot version of making Kadala curry. It is simple and easy to make without much hassle.

Dont have Instant Pot?

No worries, I have shared the stovetop pressure cooker and stovetop pot method below.

How to Make Kerala Kadala Curry in Instant Pot

Soak chana (black chickpeas) overnight or for at least 6 hours. Grind the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, cloves, cardamom, and fennel seeds into a smooth paste—no need to add any water while grinding. Keep aside. Also, grind the fresh coconut with a half cup of water to a fine paste. Keep aside. **Note: You can also roast the coconut and then grind it. If you don’t have fresh coconut, you can also use ½ cup of full-fat coconut milk instead. Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add oil to the POT. Once POT is hot, add onions and saute until onions turn light brown for 3-4 minutes. Next, add the masala paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the soaked kadala(chickpeas), spices like turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt, and water for cooking. Stir well. Close the lid on the pot. Set the pot to “BEAN/CHILI” Mode and set the timer to 30 minutes. Do a NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE. Meanwhile, prepare the tempering. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dry red chilies, asafetida (hing) and sauté for 30 seconds and keep aside. Once the pressure has released naturally, add the ground coconut paste and press sauté to cook for 3-4 minutes. Adjust the consistency by adding water if required. Finally, add the tempering to the curry. Serve Instant Pot Kerala kadala curry recipe with appam, puttu, or steamed rice.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

Follow the same steps as above. Then, cook the kadala, aka chickpeas, on a stovetop pressure cooker for two whistles on high heat and then 2-3 whistles on low heat or till they are tender and cooked through.