Punjabi chole is a North Indian chickpea curry with a unique and delicious blend of flavors. In this Instant Pot Punjabi chana masala, the beans cook in the Instant Pot in the sauce until they melt in your mouth! Serve with rice, naan, or flatbread. Glutenfree Soyfree Nutfree

Chole, is a traditional chickpea curry from different northern states of India. Punjabi chole comes from the state of Punjab and has this distinct flavor profile in the sauce. Caramelized onion, whole spices, melt in your mouth chickpeas, this chole feels like home. Once you make this restaurant style chickpea curry, you will make it again and again!

The sauce is made with lots of caramelized onions, black cardamom, ginger, garlic, and a chole masala blend that you can find in an Indian grocery store or online. If you can’t find chole masala, you can use garam masala instead.

The other feature of Punjabi chole is that you cook the chickpeas until they are super soft and melt in your mouth and the color of the chickpeas and the sauce becomes almost the same. That is why the pressure cooking time is much longer than what you would for chickpeas that are just about cooked for using in salads.

This is also applicable for a lot of other beans or legume-based Indian dishes. They are usually cooked for a longer time, like you’d cook a chili, so that everything caramelizes and becomes aromatic, and the beans almost begin to dissolve into the sauce, and all of the flavors of the sauce go into the beans. If you follow my recipe exactly, that’s the texture that you’ll get.

If you prefer a firmer chickpea texture, you can just cook it for about half the cooking time, and it will still work out well.

Instead of chickpeas, you can use other beans in this recipe, because the sauce is where all the flavor is at! 

Chole is the original Chana masala. Chana masala is a simpler chickpea curry and everyone has their own version, not necessarily authentic indian. For the real deal, try this chickpea curry and fall in love with chickpeas all over again.

Why You’ll Love Punjabi Chole

• melt-in-your-mouth chickpeas in a creamy, caramelized sauce thats packed with Indian spices!
• easy to make in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

Continue reading: Punjabi Chole (North Indian Chickpea Curry) Instant pot. stovetop option.

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The festive season is here! If you’re planning a menu for Diwali or any other seasonal gathering, I have a wonderful menu of no onion no garlic recipes for you. Dal makhani, Tofu Tikka Masala, peanut potatoes, Turmeric cashew rice! The menu uses one base sauce, so you can cook a whole meal in a lot less time.

Many if you often ask me for no onion no garlic recipes, especially around the festive season. If you are planning to make an onion-free, garlic-free Diwali or Indian party menu, here are some options for you. If you want to read more on how to cook without onion and garlic, I have a guide you can check out! It has tips to convert any recipe to be onion garlic free. If you want to add onion and garlic, see recipe faq.

You can make all of this on the same day, because it’s so streamlined. The whole meal relies on a single base sauce that you divide up to make tofu tikka masala, dal makhani and a side of crispy, peanutty potatoes. You serve it all up with roasted cashew and turmeric rice and a quick yogurt dip, called raita.

Serve it all up with store-bought flatbreads, homemade flatbreads, or naan. You can make naan from the blog and keep them frozen and reheat on the day you want to serve them, or you can make other kinds of flatbread or even toast up sourdough bread.

Also serve with other condiments of choice, like mango chutney, mint chutney, or tomato chutney or some Indian pickle. You can make these in advance or buy them pre-made at the Indian market.

If you do want to make parts of this menu this ahead, though, you definitely can! You can make the sauce and refrigerate or freeze or make the dal and potatoes and tikka masala sauce ahead and refrigerate! Bake the tofu the day of serving. There are make-ahead directions in the recipe card.

We are going to make the dal first, because the black matpe beans, or black whole urad(which is traditionally used for dal makhani), take like an hour to cook. Start cooking that, and then start making the sauce, and go from there. The recipe is written the same way. See recipe notes for making the dal with other lentils.
Also check out this Diwali menu that uses an onion base sauce for Dal do pyaaza, Gobi Matar makhani and Chana Saag! You can use both these menus to meal plan as well by making portions ahead and making a new dish every day!

Why You’ll Love this No Onion No Garlic Menu

• 1 flavorful base sauce to make 3 dishes, plus rice and raita
• onion and garlic-free, but still tons of flavor!
• tender baked tofu tikka masala
• savory dal makhani
• crunchy peanut sesame potatoes
• creamy raita
• fluffy cashew turmeric rice
• uses Instant Pot and oven to save active cooking time. Look at that gorgeousness below!

More Vegan No Onion No Garlic Recipes

• Dhaba Rajama
• Jeera Aloo
• Baked Chana Pulao
• Handi Lentils
• Dal Bukhara
• Pair with my naans(regular or Gluten-free) or flatbreads, and various Indian sweets and desserts like Ras Malai tres leches cake and Carrot halwa cheesecake!

Continue reading: No Onion No Garlic Diwali Menu (Dal makhani, Tofu Tikka Masala, peanut potatoes, Turmeric cashew rice )

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Kashmiri mushrooms — hearty mushrooms in spiced sun-dried tomato sauce cook up like a dream in the Instant Pot! This Indian mushroom curry has much flavor in the sauce with whole spices and ground spices! This dish is from the state of kashmir. It cook handsfree in the instant pot, No standing around! served with rice, flatbread, or naan.

This is an amazing recipe from the state of Kashmir in India. It’s usually made with meat (tamater hatche te maaz- mutton with sundried tomato sauce), but I use mushrooms in this delicious sauce, which is made with spices and sun-dried tomatoes (tamater hatche in kashmiri). 

Most of the Kashmir region is on high altitude, so depending on the season, fresh veggies like tomatoes and onion are not easily available. So Kashmiri cuisine often uses things like ground ginger instead of fresh ginger, sun-dried tomato instead of tomato , and lots of whole and dried spices to make their sauces, meat curries or bean curries.

Mushrooms cook up in a simple sauce with some whole spices, ground spices, and sun-dried tomatoes blended up into a puree. 

I make it an Instant Pot by adding everything to the pot and pressure cooking so that you don’t have to sauté the sauce for a long time. It still gets nicely roasted under pressure with the mushrooms, and it’s pretty quick recipe. You don’t have to stand around sweating while the mushrooms get done, either. 

Why You’ll Love Kashmiri Mushrooms

• flavor-packed, easy dinner
• cooking in the Instant Pot means no standing over the hot stove
• allergy-friendly: soy-, nut-, and gluten-free.

More Instant Pot Indian Recipes

• Instant Pot Kitchari
• Instant Pot Vegan Tikka Masala
• Instant Pot Patta Gobi Subzi
• Dhaba Rajma Masala Recipe – Instant Pot Kidney Bean Curry

Continue reading: Kashmiri Mushrooms (Instant pot mushrooms in Sun-dried tomato sauce)

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Ghugni – tender brown chickpeas(desi Chana) in a flavorful onion curry topped with crunchy onion and fresh cilantro – is a delicious meal served with flatbread, roti, or crackers.

Ghugni is a flavorful Indian bean curry. Variations of ghugni are made in the Indian states of Bihar, Odissa, Uttar Pradesh, bengal. The most popular version uses dried white peas. This ghugni uses brown chickpeas(kala chana or desi Chana) and is inspired from the Uttar Pradesh version.

You cook the brown chickpeas (aka kala chana) in the Instant Pot or other pressure cooker, then simmer them in a deeply-seasoned sauce. The brown chickpeas are toothsome compared to creamy white chickpeas and they pair well with the delicious onion sauce. This is a dryish dish served as a snack or part of meal, served with onion, cilantro, cumin, and plenty of fresh lime juice!

1 Year ago my Instant Pot cookbook released after 4 years of work! 150 Recipes, 400 pages, lots of pictures, Glutenfree Soyfree Nutfree options for all! Get your copy if you haven’t yet! A big Thank you to everyone who got my books!

Why You’ll Love Ghugni

• tender brown chickpeas in an addictive, easy-to-make curry sauce
• protein-and fiber-packed
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
• versatile – use other chickpeas or beans, if you prefer!

More Chickpea Curries

• Chickpea Coconut Curry
• Chickpeas in Turmeric Peanut Butter Curry
• Mango Curry Chickpeas
• Chickpeas in Coconut Onion Sauce – Manglorean Chana Gassi

Continue reading: Kala Chana Ghugni (Indian Brown Chickpea curry)

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This vegan Mushroom biryani is a delicious one-pot dish made with rice, sliced mushrooms, and a fragrant blend of whole and ground spices and herbs. Traditionally a biryani is made with meat, often chicken, that is marinated in yogurt and then layered with parboiled basmati rice and fresh herbs like cilantro and mint

For this chicken biryani-style recipe we are using mushrooms instead of chicken but you can also use other chicken substitutes here. Great chicken alternatives are soy curls, seitan or store bought vegan chicken or other vegan chicken substitutes. Check the notes on how to use those.

As for the cooking method, I am using an Instant pot. Hence just pot to wash up afterwards!  You will be amazed by how fluffy the rice will turn out. See recipe notes for stove top instructions.

There are many ways to make Biryani. There are also variations in the recipe based on region, be it Hyderabadi biryani, Lucknowi biryani. Todays recipe is a generic Biryani recipe that I often use with vegan meats. The flavor and umami from the mushrooms make this Biryani delicious and meaty. You can add some veggies or protein along with the mushroom.
I cook the mushroom first to get that browned Caramelized mushroom flavor. Mushrooms cooked under pressure get that flavor without having to stand around and sauté it for a long time! Just add to the instant pot with be try limited liquid and you get perfectly browned mushrooms. Then add the rice and water and spices and pressure cook.

More Instant Pot Recipes:

Vegan Instant Pot Methi Chicken Curry

Curried Chickpeas and Rice in a Jar (Instant Pot)

Vegan Pumpkin Chipotle Fried Rice (Instant Pot)

Vegan Cheese Sauce (Instant Pot Potato Carrot Cheese Sauce)

Instant Pot Vegan Black Bean Soup

Instant Pot Teriyaki Fried Rice

Continue reading: Mushroom Biryani

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Coming at you with the best butter dal ever! This dal is a famous dish straight from a Dhaba in my hometown. For those who don’t know, Dhabas are little roadside restaurants serving simple yet flavorful and rustic dishes. They are an essential and vibrant component of the Indian food scene.

As compared to five-star restaurants, Dhabas have their own charm and lure and so does this dal. Minimalistic ingredients but bang-on flavor. This dhaba style butter dal always impresses us. After all, all of us sometimes want a big old bowl of comfort food and this dal is just that.

It’s called Butter dal because the Dhaba fries the dal in hot spiced butter  before serving.

Butter dal is a perfect and delicious Indian dal.   This recipe just happens to be onion and garlic free. It’s one of those recipes that doesnt use them by default. Street vendors don’t always have refrigeration, and Onion and garlic in the tropical heat can get quite smelly so some chefs just make the dishes without them.

why you will love this vegan butter dal!

• it’s an easy but super delicious dollar.
• It is highly allergy friendly gluten-free nut free soy free.
• It also is allium free and doesn’t use any onion and garlic and is Jain friendly.
• uses mostly common Indian spices. Use whichever you have.
• The dal can be served with rice or corn greens, with roti or naan, or baked potato, or as a soup.

In book news: The book got featured on Washington post!, veg news magazine top cookbooks, tree hugger, green matters and more!. I’m loving all the reviews, do keep them coming. I am loving the book remakes tagged on social! Please review the book on Amazon or other retailers as reviews are incredibly helpful to get the book consistent distribution and marketing.

There are some supply chain issues at some retailers. if the prices look too high it’s probably they are running out of stock. wait for a day or so for the stock issues to be resolved to get better pricing. Thank you to everyone who is buying the book and cooking from it!! .

More Indian dals:

• Instant Pot Dal Bukhara Dump and Done!
• Vegan Handi Lentils (Creamy Indian Dal)
• Toor Daal with Bay Leaf and crisp Cilantro
• Masoor Dal Tadka 
• potato spinach dal – aloo palak dal 

Continue reading: Dhaba Style Butter Dal (vegan)

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I love this vegan soy curl Curry. It’s the ultimate comfort food! It features chewy soy curls simmered in a perfectly balanced sweet and slightly spicy tomato coconut sauce. An easy Instant Pot recipe that is rich in plant-based protein, and fragrant thanks to the amazing spices .

This is another dump and done recipe! Just put all the ingredients in the instant pot and pressure cook! And done! Stove top saucepan option is in the recipe notes.

Soy curls are a great chicken/meat subs. They are made with whole non GMO soybeans. You can find them in some stores or online on amazon. They have a slightly stringy texture and if you cook them well, they pick up the flavor and the texture also is very pleasing. I love them in my butter chicken and spicy dragon chicken.

You can also use other dried bean chunks! Look for “Wadi” in Indian stores made of moong bean, black eyed peas and other lentils/beans. The wadi texture is different but they work equally well for this Instant pot soy curl curry recipe. You can also use seitan, tvp, soy chunks, beyond meat strips other chicken subs.

why you’ll love this vegan Coconut chicken curry!

• it’s a dump and done recipe. Just put everything into the instant pot and done. No sautéing needed and almost no chopping!
• it’s Glutenfree and Nutfree
• Use chickpeas or other chicken subs to make it Soyfree
• It takes just a few minutes to put together!

Book news! My Instant pot book got a little delayed because of global supply chain issues. This is affecting many cookbook releases. It will start shipping May 24 instead of May 3. It’s right around the corner! 4 weeks to go! If you haven’t yet picked up the Preorder bonuses, get them here. More bonuses and giveaways coming up. Thank you to everyone who Preordered! Watch the unboxing of the first copies here.

More Soy Curls Recipes:

• Sesame Shallot Soy Curl Stir Fry
• Korean BBQ Soy Curls Crunchwrap
• Skillet Enchiladas with Soy Curls
• Vegan Methi Chicken Curry Recipe (Instant Pot) Soy Curls in Fenugreek Onion Sauce
• General Tso soy curls

Continue reading: Vegan Instant Pot Coconut “Chicken” Curry with Soy curls

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Indian Dal Bukhara is an everyday and simpler version of dal makhani using minimal ingredients. Unlike dal makhani, which is made with black gram lentils and kidney beans, dal bukhara is made only with the whole urad lentils (black gram lentils) . Dal Bukhara is traditionally slow-cooked overnight  but we make a simple and quick version using the instant pot.

I made this super easy by 1. turning this into a dump-and-done recipe. There is no sautéing needed for this one! Just add everything to the instant pot, set and forget about it. 2. I also kept this dal onion and garlic free, as traditionally it can be made with or without, but you can add some if you like. The recipe depends on the chef and restaurant. To add some onion and garlic, Just sauté for 2-3 minutes, cancel sauté and proceed as the written recipe.

Onion and garlic are avoided by some for religious, dietary, yogic/Ayurvedic reasons. But sometimes they are simply skipped for reasons like their shorter shelf life once chopped. They get stale and smelly easily esp  with the tropical heat and no refrigeration, so Indian street food vendors and small restaurants often omit them.

I use canned tomato purée instead of fresh tomatoes to reduce the time and work needed even further! So just dump everything in the pot and pressure cook, no sautéing needed.

Once done, open the lid and fold in non-dairy cream or non-dairy yogurt and tomato purée. Bring to a boil and serve this creamy dreamy dal. There are so many lentils and pulses and so many ways to make them based on different state and regional cuisines in India. Explore the Dals on the blog and also check out 22 Dals in my first book and another 14 in my upcoming instant pot book.

why will you love this instant pot dal bukhara recipe

• It uses 8 main ingredients!
• its a dump and done recipe. No standing around sautéing needed. Just add all ingredients to the pot, set it and forget it
• It’s Glutenfree and Soyfree and easily made nutfree
• its creamy and delicious and tastes like a decadent restaurant dish!

See recipe notes if using lentils other than black gram lentils (urad). Usually this dal is smoked using a charcoal (dungar method) . For the additional smoky flavor, fold in a bit of smoked paprika.

This recipe is adapted from Dal Bukhara recipe from my Indian kitchen cookbook and  chef Sanjyot Keer’s  Dal Bukhara recipe .

More dal recipes:

• Handi Lentils
• Masoor Dal Tadka
• Spicy Urad dal
• Turmeric spinach dal- no onion garlic
• Hariyali dal- spiced greens and lentils 

Continue reading: Instant Pot Dal Bukhara – Dump and Done Creamy Black lentils

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Fans of dals will love this creamy Restaurant Style Masoor Dal Tadka!

Dal (also spelled as dhal or daal or Dahl) is one of my favorite meals – versatile, healthy, filling, and deliciously warming on a cold day.

Masoor dal is split red lentils, which are popular and easy to find at many grocery stores in the US. They are cheap and cook quickly making them a great choice for a simple weeknight meal. Red lentils are also available whole and they will work as well. Just cook a few minutes longer.

Dal can be made thick,or thin and soupier, and you can use any kind of lentil. The tadka or tempering adds layers of complex flavors to the dal. The tempering can be mixed in into the dal or just drizzled on top.

This restaurant style version has not one but two tadkas or tempering to infuse with a lot of flavor. A small amount of  yogurt adds tang and brings the flavors together. A pinch of cloves brings out the garlic and savory flavor. This dal is going wow everyone! You can make this a thinner Dal with additional water or non dairy milk and serve it as a warming soup!

Is Dal a soup or a curry?

You will often find Dals translated into English either as soups or curries. I would say they are more a soup than a curry, but also neither. Dals are Dals. Different types of lentils and beans cooked with and without added veggies or ingredients and tempered with whole or ground spices or just aromatics.

A general everyday Dal does not have any added cream or coconut milk. Split lentils will cook to a soft state and get creamy. Or if you like them less broken down, then cook a few mins less. Dals like Dal makhani have some added cream. Restaurants might add additional butter or sometimes cream to make Dals more appealing.

As with ethnic cuisines the translations don’t always do justice. Indian Dals are often called lentil curry, which seems to be a logical translation. But lentil curry is also a term used for lentils cooked  with curry powder (which isn’t Indian) and coconut milk. The creamy, higher fat, slightly sweet lentil curry is different from(and often loved more compared to) a lighter lentil and water based and spiced Dals. Dals are savory, light and just Dals.

Vegan Dal Recipes:

• Punjabi Dal Fry
• Urad Dal
•  Lentil Curry Casserole
• Easy Chana Dal
• Kashmiri Dal
• Dal Tadka Mix in a Jar
• Oil free Spicy Garlic Dal
• Hubbs’ Dal fry
• Dal Makhani 

Continue reading: Masoor Dal Tadka (Indian Split Red Lentil Dal)

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This spicy urad dal is the perfect dish to spice up a simple weeknight or weekend dinner.

You will love this dish not just for the mouthwatering blend of spices and depth of flavor but also for its heartiness. Serve it with roti, flatbread, brown rice or white rice or cauliflower rice and a simple plant-based curry or a spices veggie side for a nutritious meal that will have everyone licking their plates clean.

Let’s talk about dal for a moment.

Indian food incorporates several Dals in everyday meals. Split peas, split and whole lentils and split and whole beans. Various are available locally and seasonally while others are more readily available in everyday grocery stores.

Most commonly used Dals include Masoor Dal(split skinned brown lentils) , whole masoor( whole brown lentils) , moong dal( split skinned mung beans) sabut moong(green mung beans), urad dal( split skinned black lentils) , whole urad, Chana dal(split skinned brown chickpeas) and more!
You can see all the Indian and English names and pictures of the Dals here

This spicy urad dal starts with boiling the lentils to the preferred tenderness (I do this in a pressure cooker but you can do it on the stovetop as well, see notes). To get the flavors going we incorporate a method called tempering, or tadka, the process of heating oil and adding a few spices to it. Here, we add whole cloves, cumin and bay leaves.

What is Urad Dal?

Urad dal are split, black urad or black lentils (vigna mungo) . These are not the same as the beluga lentils you might have at home. You can use urad dal without skin or a with skin in this recipe, but you definitely want to use the split kind. White/beige is the type without skin, the other will be black on one side. Urad dal is also lower carb among the dals. Whole Urad or whole black gram is used to make Dal makhani. You can use those here as well, just make sure to co them long enough. (40 minutes in instant pot).

You can also use the petite yellow lentils – moong dal which is split green mung beans. Or use red lentils. The naming in various stores varies and yellow lentils can be round or the long ones. The long ones are moong dal. See pictures on myDals post to find the right dals.

This year I plan to make a lot more Indian food and introduce you to variety of dishes that you won’t always find in Indian restaurants. Restaurants keep a limited popular items menu but there’s so much more in Indian cuisine! If you try any of these recipes do leave a review on the recipe post!

More Vegan Dal Recipes:

• Punjabi Dal Fry
•  Lentil Curry Casserole
• Easy Chana Dal
• Kashmiri Dal
• Dal Tadka Mix in a Jar
• Oil free Lentil Soup. Spicy Garlic Dal
• Hubbs’ Dal fry
• dal makhani 

Continue reading: Spicy Urad Dal (Black Gram Lentil Dal)

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