[Instant Pot] Vegetarian Chickpeas Curry w/ Green Veggies -- NOT QUICK | 1.75 hours of Time Investme
First, let me say that this recipe is not a quick way to put dinner on the table, but in terms of actual time you have to do any actual thing, it will only involve your human labor for about 5 minutes. Meets my patient-yet-lazy standards!
Shopping List/Ingredients
2 cups dried chickpeas [add 1/2 c water for every cup over 2 cups]
1 packet of butter chicken mixed spices [example]
15 oz can tomato puree [add 1 c water for every 10 oz over 15 if your can is larger]
1 bell pepper, diced
1 package frozen spinach [substitute as much fresh spinach as you feel like eating]
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons ghee [substitute bland vegetable oil]
1 small carton heavy cream
water
First Things First: Faux-soak the Dried Chickpeas
Put your dried chickpeas (2 cups) and first aliquot of water (6 c) into the inner pan of your Instant Pot. Secure the lid and make sure you've set the valve to seal. Set it to cook at pressure for 2 minutes, then allow it to naturally depressurize. DO NOT USE QUICK RELEASE! Chickpeas get frothy. Pot vents get plugged. Owners get sad. Total time to ignore your Instant Pot for this stage: 32 minutes.
Second Things Second: The Fats
Open your Instant Pot and dump your faux-soaked chickpeas into a colander in your sink. Completely ignore them. We won't be using them again in this step.
Put the inner pot back into your Instant Pot and press the sauté button. Add your ghee (2 tbsp) and set a timer for 1 minute. Meanwhile, peel and dice your onion (1).
After the timer goes off, add your onion, and set another timer for 7 minutes. Try very hard to avoid stirring, but be unable to. Stir fry the onion while chastising yourself for not being lazier.
At the end of 7 minutes, press cancel.
Third Things Third: The Chickpeas Return
Add the butter chicken mixed spices (1 packet) to the contents of the Instant Pot. Stir and don't chastise yourself.
Dump in - in this exact order - your chickpeas (2 c, quick soaked), the second aliquot of the water (1 cup + any additional from the ingredients list; in my case my tomato puree was 28 oz so I used 3 c), the tomato puree (1 can), and the spinach (1 package frozen; no need to thaw). Don't stir. No. Put that spoon down. Stirring, here, will lead to a burn message whereas not stirring prevents the burn message. Instant pots are weird.
Put the lid on the pot and set the vent to seal. Set the manual pressure time to 35 minutes, and then allow it to naturally depressurize. Total time to ignore your Instant Pot for this stage: 65 minutes.
While you are ignoring your Instant Pot, this is a great time to dice your bell pepper (1) to prep it for the next step.
Fourth Things Fourth: The Stuff That Doesn't Get Cooked
Open the lid and add the bell pepper (1, diced) and the heavy cream (small carton) and stir those in to the hot mess of food inside.
Fifth Things Fifth: The Eating
Serve and gobble. Yum!
Tools To Make It Lazier
Onion chopper. This handy, lever device enables you to dice anything you put into it into evenly sized squares. Plus it then comes apart to wash in the dishwasher. Use it for both the onion and the bell pepper in this recipe.
Inspired by:
My vegetarian chickpea tikka masala recipe which didn't have any green vegetables in it (just an onion). I experimented until I found just the perfect vegetables to add nutrients to this recipe in a way that enhances the flavor.
Shopping List/Ingredients
2 cups dried chickpeas [add 1/2 c water for every cup over 2 cups]
1 packet of butter chicken mixed spices [example]
15 oz can tomato puree [add 1 c water for every 10 oz over 15 if your can is larger]
1 bell pepper, diced
1 package frozen spinach [substitute as much fresh spinach as you feel like eating]
1 onion, diced
2 tablespoons ghee [substitute bland vegetable oil]
1 small carton heavy cream
water
First Things First: Faux-soak the Dried Chickpeas
Put your dried chickpeas (2 cups) and first aliquot of water (6 c) into the inner pan of your Instant Pot. Secure the lid and make sure you've set the valve to seal. Set it to cook at pressure for 2 minutes, then allow it to naturally depressurize. DO NOT USE QUICK RELEASE! Chickpeas get frothy. Pot vents get plugged. Owners get sad. Total time to ignore your Instant Pot for this stage: 32 minutes.
Second Things Second: The Fats
Open your Instant Pot and dump your faux-soaked chickpeas into a colander in your sink. Completely ignore them. We won't be using them again in this step.
Put the inner pot back into your Instant Pot and press the sauté button. Add your ghee (2 tbsp) and set a timer for 1 minute. Meanwhile, peel and dice your onion (1).
After the timer goes off, add your onion, and set another timer for 7 minutes. Try very hard to avoid stirring, but be unable to. Stir fry the onion while chastising yourself for not being lazier.
At the end of 7 minutes, press cancel.
Third Things Third: The Chickpeas Return
Add the butter chicken mixed spices (1 packet) to the contents of the Instant Pot. Stir and don't chastise yourself.
Dump in - in this exact order - your chickpeas (2 c, quick soaked), the second aliquot of the water (1 cup + any additional from the ingredients list; in my case my tomato puree was 28 oz so I used 3 c), the tomato puree (1 can), and the spinach (1 package frozen; no need to thaw). Don't stir. No. Put that spoon down. Stirring, here, will lead to a burn message whereas not stirring prevents the burn message. Instant pots are weird.
Put the lid on the pot and set the vent to seal. Set the manual pressure time to 35 minutes, and then allow it to naturally depressurize. Total time to ignore your Instant Pot for this stage: 65 minutes.
While you are ignoring your Instant Pot, this is a great time to dice your bell pepper (1) to prep it for the next step.
Fourth Things Fourth: The Stuff That Doesn't Get Cooked
Open the lid and add the bell pepper (1, diced) and the heavy cream (small carton) and stir those in to the hot mess of food inside.
Fifth Things Fifth: The Eating
Serve and gobble. Yum!
Tools To Make It Lazier
Onion chopper. This handy, lever device enables you to dice anything you put into it into evenly sized squares. Plus it then comes apart to wash in the dishwasher. Use it for both the onion and the bell pepper in this recipe.
Inspired by:
My vegetarian chickpea tikka masala recipe which didn't have any green vegetables in it (just an onion). I experimented until I found just the perfect vegetables to add nutrients to this recipe in a way that enhances the flavor.