Instant Pot Chickpeas (Soaked and no-soak)

Chickpeas or garbanzo beans is a type of legume. It is commonly used in Indian and Mediterranean cuisine and used in vegan and gluten-free recipes.

If you are a fan of chickpeas and rely on canned ones then this instant pot chickpeas recipe is for you. You can cook soaked or dried chickpeas at home in the instant pot for making delicious recipes such as chana masala and kung pao chickpeas.

Why cook chickpeas at home?

It is not only cheaper to cook chickpeas at home but also much healthier as canned chickpeas are high in sodium content. And, it is extremely easy to cook soaked or dried chickpeas in the instant pot.

How do you soak chickpeas before cooking?

To soak the chickpeas, rinse them thoroughly with water 2-3 times and soak them in thrice the amount of water for 6-8 hours or even overnight. You want to ensure that the container used for soaking is large enough as the beans will double in volume.

Soaking the chickpeas before cooking has several advantages. Soaking cleans the beans thoroughly and reduces the overall cooking time significantly.

After soaking, the beans should roughly double in volume which, is an indicator of good quality beans and it will cook well. It also helps avoid gassiness and bloating in some people.

How to cook soaked chickpeas in instant pot?

Soaking chickpeas for 6-8 hours or even overnight helps cook the chickpeas faster compared to the dried ones. Discard all the water used for soaking and then put the chickpeas in the instant pot liner.

Fill the liner with water, just about half an inch over the level of the chickpeas. I usually add 2 cups of water per dried cup of chickpeas when using the soaked method.

Lock the lid and cook on high pressure mode for 18 minutes followed by a natural pressure release.

How to cook chickpeas without soaking?

If you are in urgent need of cooked chickpeas but have forgotten to soak it, you can still cook them in the instant pot. The only difference is that dried beans will take longer to cook compared to the soaked ones.

To cook the dry garbanzo beans, rinse them thoroughly with water 2-3 times. Then pour them in the instant pot and add water in the ratio of 1:3 of dried beans to water.

Pressure cook the dried chickpeas in the instant pot for 50 minutes followed by a natural pressure release. You can alternately, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then release the remaining pressure manually by moving the knob in venting position.

How to tell if chickpeas are cooked?

Once you open the instant pot, you can test a couple of chickpeas to tell if they are cooked or not. An easy test is to press it between your index finger and thumb and it should mash easily.

If they are hard or not soft enough then you can cook them for few additional minutes.

Why are my chickpeas not cooking?

Sometimes chickpeas remain undercooked or uncooked. This can happen for various reasons.

It usually happens if they are very old. Adding about half a teaspoon of baking soda for a cup of dried chickpeas while pressure cooking should definitely help.

If by mistake you cook them on low pressure instead of high pressure mode, in the instant pot, they will remain uncooked.

In rare cases, if the instant pot is not heating up, they will remain uncooked and you may need to check with their support team.

How do you fix undercooked beans in instant pot?

If the chickpeas are not soft or tender when pressed between your fingers then it is a sign that they are undercooked. There is no need to worry. You can easily fix the situation by cooking them again in the instant pot in the same water for 5-10 minutes on high pressure mode.

Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then release the remaining pressure manually by moving the pressure knob in venting position until the silver pin drops.

How to store cooked chickpeas?

Cooked chickpeas store well. Allow the chickpeas to cool down and then store them in air tight containers in the fridge for 4-5 days.

You can also portion them and store them in freezer safe bags for a month. When you are ready to use, you can keep them in the fridge overnight or defrost in the microwave and use it to make your favorite dish.

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