Chana saag recipe is a classic Indian curry with chickpeas, mixed greens like spinach, mustard greens, onions and tomatoes. This vegan and gluten free curry is nutritious, hearty and easy to make.

Serve this healthy chickpeas curry piping hot with breads like naan, kulcha, pita bread or with rice varieties like jeera rice, steamed basmati rice. Perfect for winter dinners.

For more curry recipes please check paneer butter masala, chole paneer, Amritsari chole, veg korma, veg kadai recipes.

Let’s talk chickpeas today. Yes that same wonder ingredient that does so many things 🙂 It is one of the most sought after source of vegan or plant based protein and it is a power house of nutrition.

Here in this recipe we are cooking chickpeas with mixed winter special greens like baby spinach, mustard greens, radish greens, bathua etc.

Soaked and drained chickpeas are cooked in a flavorful masala of onions and tomatoes along with greens.

I love to make this curry whenever I have a good stash of mixed greens. Sometimes I just make sarsaon ka saag and add chickpeas or paneer to make saag paneer.

I have made the whole curry in instant pot and it gets ready in 40 minutes without much of sautéing and stirring.

If you are looking for tasty ways to include chickpeas in your diet, do try this curry and enjoy. This chickpeas curry is

vegan and gluten free

easy one pot meal in 30 minutes

good source of plant based protein

heart and satiating

very delicious and flavorful

quick and simple to make

tastes great with rice or bread.

About This Recipe

This chickpeas curry is one of the popular home style curries from north Indian cuisine. During winters when local seasonal greens are found in abundance, they are widely used in various recipes.

You can use any of your favorite mixed greens if traditional greens used for this recipe are unavailable. During winter we generally add seasonal greens like mustard greens, radish greens, bathua (chenopodium), spinach and methi leaves.

In the United States my friends usually make this with spinach blend as it is known there which has spinach, mustard, kale, collard greens etc.

This curry gets ready in less than 40 minutes and tastes delicious with rice or roti. I usually make this everyday curry for a quick dinner or lunch. I am a big fan of this yummy curry.

This recipe is super easy to make, makes one of the best flavorful curries and super simple to make. Perfect weeknight meal after a tiring day.

This curry freezes well too. Here is the easy chana saag curry recipe with step by step photos with tips, variations and serving suggestions. Enjoy!

How To Make Chana Saag Recipe In Instant Pot

Preparing Dried Chickpeas

Firs of all if you are using dry chickpeas as I did here follow the below mentioned steps. If you are using canned chickpeas, go to making curry section directly.

Pick, rinse and place dried chickpeas in a large bowl.

Pour 4 cups water over it and set aside for 8-12 hours.

After the soaking time, you will see some white froth accumulated all over the chickpeas, discard it and rinse the chickpeas thoroughly under water multiple times.

Drain the chickpeas in a large colander and set aside.

Other Preparations

Before beginning the spinach curry prepare the following things to make the cooking easier.

Chop 2 medium onions finely, you will need 3/4 cup finely chopped onions.

Finely chop 1/2 inch peeled ginger.

Pick, rinse and thoroughly clean the greens, dry them in a salad spinner or a clean kitchen towel and finely chop them.

If mixed greens are not available you can just use chickpea and spinach. If you want to use frozen spinach you can add it directly.

You can chop them using a food processor or sharp knife. If you like a really smooth curry you can blend the greens into a smooth puree.

Chop 2 large tomatoes finely. Slit green chilies

Making the chickpeas curry- Instant pot chana saag curry

Place the steel insert inside your instant pot and switch it on.

Press saute mode and once it displays hot add 1 tablespoon oil to it.

Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, finely chopped onions, minced ginger and slit green chilies. Saute well in medium heat for 2 minutes. You can also add garlic and ginger minced.

Once done, add finely chopped tomatoes or tomato puree and mix well. Saute for a minute.

Add the chopped spinach and greens and mix well. You can also add just the spinach leaves.

Now add the spice powders namely 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder, 1/4 mango powder or amchur powder.

Mix and cook well for 3-4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to deglaze the pot and mix well.

Now add the soaked and drained dry chickpeas. If you are using canned chickpeas or cooked chickpeas , drain it thoroughly and add.

Add 2 cups water. I have made this as a semi dry curry, you can add 3 cups water for a gravy curry. Also add salt to taste.

Close the instant pot, cancel saute and press pressure cooker mode. Set the timer to 30 minutes for dry chickpeas and 10 minutes for canned chickpeas.

Let the instant pot pressure cook for the set time. Once done, let the pressure settle down naturally.

Open the instant pot and cook in saute mode for 3-4 minutes if you prefer a thick curry. At this stage you can add 1/4 cup thick coconut milk if you like a rich and creamy curry.

Add finely chopped cilantro leaves, lemon juice and mix well.

Serve Indian chana saag curry immediately. It is one of my favorite curries for weeknight dinner with basmati rice or brown rice.

Chickpea Curry Tips

Chickpeas– I always use dried chickpeas in my recipes, which I soak and drain for good 8 hours. If you are using canned chickpeas, drain in thoroughly and use.

Instead of kabuli chana or white chickpeas you can use kala chana or black chickpeas too.

Oil– I like to use mustard oil in this recipe especially during winters as it has warming properties. You can also use olive oil, peanut oil or any vegetable oil.

Spice powders– the spice powders mentioned in this chana saag recipes are completely variable. I have added just curry powder, some garam masala powder and red chili powder here. You can also add chana masala, coriander powder etc. You can also add mango powder.

Coconut milk- Sometimes I add 1/4 to 1/2 cup unsweetened thick coconut milk to this chana saag or chickpea curry recipe.

You can add coconut milk to make this curry milder in spice, to make it more creamy and rich. You can also add coconut cream or dairy cream if not vegan.

Storage & Serving Suggestions

Storage– This chickpea spinach curry stays good for 2-3 days in refrigerator. In fact the flavors deepen next day.

You can freeze the curry for 3 months.

Serving Ideas– Serve chana saag hot or warm with any breads like pita bread naan bread, toast or roti. This dish also tastes good with jeera rice, peas pulao, brown rice, basmati rice too.

More Chickpea Recipes

Chickpea salad

Best falafel

Roasted chickpeas

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