Dry Kala Chana Recipe (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

Instant Pot Method (One-pot)

1. Start the pressure cooker in Sauté mode and let it heat.  Add oil, cumin seeds. Let the cumin seeds splutter about 30 seconds. 
2. Add the spices and mix them with the oil. Quickly add the soaked black chickpeas and mix them with the spices (quickly, so the spices don't burn being in the hot oil for long).   
3. Stir in the water for cooking. Press cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position. 
4. Cook in manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 30 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, do a natural pressure release. 
5. Add dry mango powder and mix it well with the kala chana. If there is liquid, in the pot, you can put on sauté mode again to dry it. It will also dry off as the chana cool down.  
6. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy with the puri and halwa. Another great way to enjoy these is as a high protein salad. Add diced onions, tomatoes and lemon juice. Other add on's that work great are diced mango or avocado.

Stovetop Method

1. Drain chickpeas and add them to a pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water.
2. Pressure cook the chickpeas using a stovetop pressure cooker on high heat. After the first whistle, reduce heat to medium-low and let it cook for 20-22 minutes (6-7 whistles). Allow the pressure to release naturally, then open the lid.
3. Drain the chickpeas, but reserve the liquid. It can be used in roti dough or dals. We will also use some later when sautéing.
4. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add cumin seeds to it. Let them sizzle for about 30 seconds.
5. Add the spices and mix them with the oil.
6. Add the drained chickpeas, and half cup of the reserved water and mix well.
7. Let the chickpeas cook for 5-7 minutes, then take it off heat. The water will all get absorbed by this time.
8. Add dry mango powder and mix it well with the kala chana. Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy with the puri and halwa, or with dal, rice and roti.