Instant Pot chana saag (chickpeas and spinach)
Chickpeas simmered in a garlicky, gently spiced spinach and tomato sauce under pressure, finished with lemon and garam masala, a green, cozy Indian dinner that’s ready in half an hour.
- 35 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $1.71 a serving
- 360 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 package frozen chopped spinach
- 1 can diced tomatoes, not drained
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ lemon
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ cup water
- 1¼ tsp salt
Each serving has about 360 calories, 17 g protein, 48 g carbs and 12 g fat, and costs about $1.71 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No diced tomatoes? Crushed tomatoes work.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Set the Instant Pot to , add the oil and onion, and cook, stirring, 5 minutes, until soft.
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Timer: 5 min
Stir in the garlic and ginger for 1 minute, then the cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne for 30 seconds, . Press Cancel.
Fragrant. Fragrant means cooking until you can clearly smell it, usually garlic or spices, often in about 30 seconds. That’s the moment the flavor is ready, just before it can burn.
How you’ll know: You can smell it from a step back, and garlic is pale gold, not brown.
Pour in the water and scrape the bottom well so nothing is stuck.
Dolly’s tip: A clean bottom keeps the burn warning away.Add the chickpeas and salt, set the frozen spinach block on top, and pour the tomatoes over it without stirring.
Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes, then carefully turn the valve to Venting.
Timer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: It takes about 10 minutes to come up to pressure first. Keep your hand clear of the steam.Open the lid and stir well, mashing a few chickpeas, until the spinach is mixed through. Stir in the garam masala, lemon juice and cream.
Taste for salt and serve over rice if you have some.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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