Instant Pot Chickpea Curry (Freezer; Vegan)

This Instant Pot vegan chickpea curry cooks chickpeas, carrots, potatoes and green beans in a fragrant Indian curry sauce. Made with vegan ingredients, the Instant Pot makes it hands off and simple to prepare.

When it comes to convenient Instant Pot meals, I look for ones without a sauté step. Instant Pot Moroccan lentils and Instant Pot vegetarian chili are two personal favorites of mine, as is this chickpea curry.

With chickpeas, carrots, potatoes and green beans cooked in a delicious Indian-spiced coconut curry sauce, it's perfect for a weeknight dinner, or stored for meal prep.

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this curry. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.

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Ingredient notes

• chickpeas- for this recipe, you'll need cooked chickpeas to start. You can either purchase canned chickpeas, or cook your own Instant Pot chickpeas
• coconut milk- go for a full fat coconut milk to make the sauce rich and creamy
• curry powder- I've used a mild curry powder, which makes this curry not at all spicy. You can use a medium or hot curry powder to increase the spiciness, or add ¼ teaspoon (or more) of cayenne
• baby potatoes- you can use any type of potato for this recipe; if you use larger potatoes, simply cut them into 1 inch cubes. If freezing this curry before cooking, you'll need to use baby potatoes (leave them whole)
• green beans- you may use fresh or frozen green beans. We add them after cooking the curry through so that they do not overcook and retain some texture

Recipe tips

Instant Pot models that work

This recipe has been tested in both a 6 quart Instant Pot and an 8 quart Instant Pot, and it worked great in both! If you have an Instant Pot mini, you may need to cut the recipe in half to get it to fit into the pot. Leave us a comment below if you give it a try in the mini to let us know how it goes for you!

10 minute natural pressure release

I like to allow soups, stews or curries cooked in the Instant Pot to naturally depressurize for at least 10 minutes, as this helps the liquids settle. If you do a quick pressure release, you’ll risk the liquid spewing out the valve.

To do a natural pressure release, simply let your Instant Pot sit for 10 minutes after the cook cycle has completed. Set a timer for 10 minutes, and when the time is up, carefully move the steam release handle into the ‘venting’ postition.

For more information on quick versus natural pressure release, check out Instant Pot 101.

The finishing touches

After the 10 minute natural pressure release has completed and you've removed the lid from your Instant Pot, the next step is to stir in some lemon juice and green beans. Leave the Instant Pot on 'keep warm', and place the lid on. Let the pot sit for 5 minutes, until the green beans have turned bright green and softened slightly. You can leave the pot to sit for longer if you like your beans even softer.

Serve it with

• Perfect, fluffy rice
• Cauliflower rice
• Naan bread, roti or chapati
• Fresh cilantro
• A dollop of coconut yogurt

Storage, meal prep + reheating

Instant Pot chickpea curry works great for meal prep and even tastes better on day two! Here's how to safely store and reheat it:

• fridge- cool completely, then portion out into meal prep containers with rice, or store in a single, large portion. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
• reheat- heat individual portions in the microwave until steaming hot; heat larger portions in a pot on the stove over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through.
• freezer- cool completely, then portion out into meal prep containers with rice, or in larger plastic or glass freezer jars (leave room for expansion in the jars, and leave lids ajar until fully frozen). Freeze for up to 3 months.
• thaw- overnight in the fridge; depending on the quality of your meal prep containers, you may be able to microwave from frozen on low heat.

Freezer packs

This recipe can be prepared ahead as a freezer pack- this refers to a meal that is assembled and frozen prior to cooking. When you go to cook, simply thaw, dump into the Instant Pot insert, and cook- no need to measure out any of the ingredients.

1. In a gallon-size freezer bag, reusable silicone bag or meal prep container, combine all ingredients except for the lemon juice and green beans.
2. Freeze for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw completely before cooking- I do not know if the Instant Pot will come to pressure if cooked from frozen.
4. Cook as directed in the recipe card, and enjoy!

Check out my favorite freezer containers.

More vegetarian recipes

• 33 Vegan Meal Prep Recipes
• Instant Pot Lentil Soup
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
• Instant Pot Enchilada Quinoa
• Instant Pot Fiesta Rice Bowls