This Chickpea Tikka Masala is a hearty vegetarian curry with tender chickpeas in a creamy, spiced tomato sauce. You get all the classic tikka masala flavors but without the meat! Make it in the Instant Pot or the stovetop.
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This recipe brings you chicken tikka masala flavor, but with chickpeas! It can be made in the Instant Pot or the stovetop.
When I created my popular chicken tikka masala recipe, I knew I had to publish a chickpea version for my vegetarian friends and readers.
The chickpeas become incredibly flavorful as they simmer in the spiced tomato cream sauce.
The chickpeas are already tender from canning (or pre-cooking if using dried), so they just need time to simmer in the spiced tomato cream sauce and absorb all that flavor.
Have you tried my chana masala? It also features chickpeas in a spiced tomato-based sauce, but tikka masala has a distinctly creamier, smoother sauce with a different flavor profile.
➡ For more vegetarian Indian Instant Pot recipes, check out my Instant Pot Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower and Potatoes), or try my South Indian dal, Kerala vegetable stew, or potato masala (Indian spiced potatoes).
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients for Instant Pot Chickpea Tikka Masala
💡 Ingredient and Recipe Tips
🫘 Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas for convenience – they’re already perfectly cooked. For dried chickpeas, cook them separately first until tender (either pressure cook or stovetop), then use them in this recipe. 2 cans equal about 1 cup dried chickpeas.
🌶️ Kashmiri Chili: This vibrant red chili powder is mild and adds color. It gives tikka masala that signature red hue without overwhelming heat. Substitute with paprika plus a pinch of cayenne if needed.
🍯 Honey: The touch of sweetness balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Start with the amount of honey listed and add more as needed.
🥛 Making It Vegan: Use coconut milk or cashew cream instead of heavy cream, dairy-free yogurt, and vegan butter. The flavor will be slightly different but equally delicious.
⭐ Fresh vs. Store-Bought Spices: Whenever possible, use freshly ground spices, especially garam masala. The difference in aroma is noticeable. If buying pre-ground, get small quantities and store in a cool, dark place.
🌿 Don’t Skip the Fenugreek: Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) add the depth and flavor that define tikka masala. Find them at Indian grocery stores or online – they’re worth getting and a box will last you a long time!
🍅 Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce is called tomato passata in the UK.
❓ FAQs
You definitely may add vegetables to the chickpea tikka masala. Spinach is the perfect addition. Add it in at the end, and heat through until wilted.
This chickpea tikka masala is not too spicy. For spicier curry, increase the chili powder or add cayenne pepper to taste.
Yes, but don’t exceed your Instant Pot’s maximum fill line.
As long as you have the minimum quantity of liquid to get your pressure cooker to pressurize, you can reduce the recipe e.g. halve it, but keep the same cooking time.
You can make the tikka masala ahead of time – it actually tastes better the next day! Don’t add the cream and garam masala until you’re ready to heat it before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors actually improve overnight! This also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Chickpea Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 2 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- ¾ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp black pepper powder
- 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder or to taste
- 3 cups chickpeas 2 15-oz. (439 grams) cans [See Note 1]
- 1 cup plain yogurt (whole milk)
- 8 oz. tomato sauce [See Note 2]
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp honey or to taste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- ½ cup heavy cream [See Note 3]
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Select the Saute function and pre-heat the Instant Pot inner pot.
- Melt 2 tablespoon ghee or butter in the inner pot.
- Stir in 2 tablespoon garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add 2 tablespoon coriander powder, 1 tablespoon cumin powder, ¾ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp black pepper powder, and 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder and cook until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Press Cancel.
- Add 3 cups chickpeas to the spices and stir to coat.
- Add 1 cup plain yogurt, 8 oz. tomato sauce, 1 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1 Tbsp honey. Mix well.
- Close the lid and pressure cook for 5 minutes on High Pressure.
- Do a natural pressure release (NPR). [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Open the Instant Pot and stir in 1 tsp garam masala, 1 Tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, and ½ cup heavy cream.
- Select Saute mode and cook for 2 minutes, or until heated through and desired consistency.
- Garnish with ¼ cup cilantro leaves.
- Serve with rice or naan.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat butter or ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic and ginger to the pot. Saute for about 30 seconds to one minute.
- Add coriander, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and chili powder and cook until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add chickpeas, tomato sauce, salt, lemon juice, honey, and fenugreek leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add a couple of tablespoons of water or vegetable broth if needed, to deglaze.
- Add the yogurt, a couple of tablespoons at a time, stirring well after each addition.
- Simmer the chickpea tikka masala on medium low heat until the chickpeas have time to absorb the flavors, about 20 minutes. Add more water or broth as needed.
- Stir in garam masala and cream.
- Heat through, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.
- Serve over rice or with naan.
Notes
- Note 1: To use dried chickpeas, pressure cook 1 cup of chickpeas separately until tender (about 50 minutes on high pressure with natural release), which will give you about 3 cups cooked chickpeas.
- Note 2: American tomato sauce (called tomato passata in the UK), not tomato ketchup!
- Note 3: Feel free to add more cream to make the dish richer and creamier!
- I make the recipe as written with no sealing problems. If you regularly encounter the ‘burn’ message, you can add the tomato sauce on top of the other ingredients, without stirring. If you still have issues, add some more liquid, e.g. a few tablespoons of broth, with the yogurt. [Read more: Instant Pot Burn Message].
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Varsha says
Neena, You had given me this variation a long time ago and I make it regularly. I’m glad to see it here!
Neena Panicker says
Hi Varsha, that’s so nice that you commented here. I’m thrilled that you like it.