Instant Pot Kala Chana Curry (Bihari Ghugni)

Here is my take on Bihari-style ghugni, prepared as a comforting stew in the Instant Pot. This protein-rich black chickpea curry is perfect for quick and healthy weeknight dinners.

Growing up, black chickpeas were a staple in my mom’s kitchen. She often used them in vathal kuzhambu, pitlai (a sambar variation), and sundal. When I started my food blogging journey, I began exploring recipes from other Indian cuisines, and ghugni immediately caught my attention.

About Ghugni (Kala Chana Curry)

Ghugni is a popular dish across Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, and Bengal, with regional variations. Today I am sharing the Bihari version, also known as kala chana ghugni.

Traditionally, it is served as an evening snack with puffed rice (murmura). However, it pairs beautifully with roti, poori, or rice. I discovered this recipe from a Bihar and Jharkhand food blog and adapted it for the Instant Pot.

I am not entirely sure about its exact origin between Bihar and Jharkhand, but, like Dal Sagga, I refer to this dish as Bihari/Jharkhand Ghugni.

My Take on Ghugni

Disclaimer: This is not a claim of authenticity. This is my personal adaptation.

The original recipe uses whole spices, but I simplified it using garam masala. You may substitute it with cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, or peppercorns if desired.

Mustard oil is traditionally used in eastern India, but I used regular cooking oil. Feel free to use mustard oil for an authentic flavour.

Many recipes follow a dump-and-go method, but since I wanted a stew consistency to serve with rice, I added more water.

How to Serve Ghugni

You can enjoy this dish in multiple ways:

• With rice, roti, or poori. As you saw in the video, I am serving this with brown rice and cabbage sabzi.
• You can serve it as a snack with murmura or plain roasted poha. In that case, sprinkle with some onions and a squeeze of lemon juice, then serve.
• Last but not least, you can also sprinkle green chutney, sweet chutney, some onions, chaat masala, and enjoy it as chaat too. For some crunch or more texture, you can also add sev or papdi.

Dietary Specifications

This ghugni is naturally vegan and gluten-free, making it perfect for everyone. Once your chickpeas are soaked, this Instant Pot Kala Chana Curry comes together quickly. Whether made in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, it is perfect for busy weekdays.

Ingredients Required

We only need basic pantry ingredients, which are readily available.

• The star ingredient is the black chickpeas, and I used ½ cup for this recipe.
• For tempering, we need oil, bay leaf and cumin seeds.
• As always, we need the aromatics — onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes — which form the base for this stew.
• I kept the spices simple: red chili powder and garam masala.

Apart from these ingredients, you need salt, water and cilantro. Please check the recipe card for exact measurements.

How to make black chickpeas stew in Instant Pot

• Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the bay leaf and cumin seeds.
• As the cumin seeds crackle, add the onion and the ginger-garlic paste. Cook until the onion turns translucent.
• Then add the chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, salt, and garam masala.
• Mix them all together, cook for a couple of minutes, then add the water, followed by the soaked and drained chickpeas.  Add 1 tbsp of cilantro and mix well.
• Now set the IP in manual mode for 20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. If you have soaked the chickpeas for 10 to 12 hours, you can cook them for 12 to 15 minutes, or until your preferred texture is achieved. Check recipe notes for more details.
• Once the pressure is dropped, open the lid. This is an optional step – I always do this. I take out 2 tbsps of the chickpea mix, mash or blend it, add it to the curry, add the remaining cilantro, cook for 5 to 7 minutes, and turn off the heat.  Serve it warm with rice, roti,  murmura or poori.

Recipe Notes

• I did not add any  turmeric powder or asafoetida. Given the benefits of hing and turmeric, I always add ¼ tsp of each, and you can use the same measure for this recipe too.
• Last but not least, adjust the spices and salt as per your preference.
• I served this with rice, so I added more water. But if you are planning to serve this with puffed rice or like chaat, you can reduce the water by 1 to 1.5 cups.
• If you have soaked the chickpeas for 10 to 12 hours, you can cook them for 12 to 15 minutes, or until your preferred texture is achieved. If time is pressing, then soak the beans for at atleast 30 to 45 minutes and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. The cooking time varies depending on the soak time, bean quality, and your preferred texture.  One batch of beans that I had cooked in 15 minutes. Start with a shorter cooking time and adjust if required.
• You can make this in a stove-top pressure cooker, too. Prepare the tempering and follow the same procedure, and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles.

More Instant Pot Indian Recipes

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Instant Pot Kala Chana Curry (Bihari Ghugni)

Easy Instant Pot kala chana curry made Bihari-style. This protein-rich black chickpea stew is vegan, gluten-free, and perfect for weeknight dinners.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Soaking Time8 hours hrs

Total Time8 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4

Calories: 129kcal

Author: Srividhya G

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;

• ▢ ½ cup black chickpeas soaked
• ▢ 2 tsp oil
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ▢ 1 cup chopped onion
• ▢ 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• ▢ 1 cup chopped tomato
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 1 tsp garam masala
• ▢ ¾ tsp red chili powder
• ▢ 2.5 cups water
• ▢ 2 tbsp cilantro divided

Instructions

• Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the bay leaf and cumin seeds.
• As the cumin seeds crackle, add the onion and the ginger-garlic paste. Cook until the onion turns translucent.
• Then add the chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, salt, and garam masala.
• Mix them all together, cook for a couple of minutes, then add the water, followed by the soaked and drained chickpeas. Add 1 tbsp of cilantro and mix well.
• Now set the IP in manual mode for 20 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. If you have soaked the chickpeas for 10 to 12 hours, you can cook them for 12 to 15 minutes, or until your preferred texture is achieved. Check recipe notes for more details.
• Once the pressure is dropped, open the lid. This is an optional step – I always do this. I take out 2 tbsps of the chickpea mix, mash or blend it, add it to the curry, add the remaining cilantro, cook for 5 to 7 minutes, and turn off the heat. Serve it warm with rice, roti, murmura or poori.

Video

Notes

• I did not add any  turmeric powder or asafoetida. Given the benefits of hing and turmeric, I always add ¼ tsp of each, and you can use the same measure for this recipe too.
• Last but not least, adjust the spices and salt as per your preference.
• I served this with rice, so I added more water. But if you are planning to serve this with puffed rice or like chaat, you can reduce the water by 1 to 1.5 cups.
• If you have soaked the chickpeas for 10 to 12 hours, you can cook them for 12 to 15 minutes, or until your preferred texture is achieved. If time is pressing, then soak the beans for at atleast 30 to 45 minutes and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. The cooking time varies depending on the soak time, bean quality, and your preferred texture.  One batch of beans that I had cooked in 15 minutes. Start with a shorter cooking time and adjust if required.
• You can make this in a stove-top pressure cooker, too. Prepare the tempering and follow the same procedure, and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles.

Nutrition

Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 692mg | Potassium: 367mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 273IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg

I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

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Update Notes: Earlier posted in 2017, now updated with new pics and recipe card with all the details.