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    Home » Cooking 101

    Instant pot Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas) - Soaked & Unsoaked

    Dec 11, 2022 by Sravanthi. This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Cooking chickpeas in an instant pot is so easy and very rewarding. This Instant pot Garbanzo beans recipe will yield tastier, healthier, and cheaper beans than canned ones! Cook garbanzo beans once and use them for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

    cooked chickpeas in a bowl
    Contents
    • What are chickpeas
    • Do we need to soak chickpeas?
    • How to cook chickpeas in the Instant pot
    • Soaked Chickpeas
    • Dried Chickpeas
    • Cooking times and water ratio
    • Dried chickpeas - Cooked & Canned chickpeas
    • Variations & flavorings
    • Recipe Notes
    • How to store cooked chickpeas
    • Common FAQ
    • Chickpeas recipes
    • Recipe

    What are chickpeas

    Chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, are a type of legume rich in protein, iron, and folate(1). Chickpeas have a nutty taste and creamy texture that blends well into many recipes. 

    There are two types of chickpeas. One is Kabuli Chickpeas (the white chickpeas, most common in the US), and the other is brown chickpeas (Also called black chickpeas & desi chickpeas)

    Do we need to soak chickpeas?

    I usually soak chickpeas overnight or at least 8 hours and recommend soaking them before cooking. Though we might need to plan a day before, it will yield perfectly cooked chickpeas every single time.

    Soaking chickpeas before cooking

    • Will yield uniformly cooked chickpeas every time.
    • Will make them easy to digest.
    • Will reduce the cooking time significantly.

    How to cook chickpeas in the Instant pot

    In this recipe, I will show you how to cook soaked and un-soaked chickpeas using an Instant pot easily at home, and you will never buy canned chickpeas again!

    Prep work (Optional)

    • Soak the chickpeas for 8 hours or overnight. If you are soaking for more hours, do it in the refrigerator, as beans will start fermenting.
    • Discard the water from the soaked chickpeas and wash them a couple of times. There might be white foam on the top. Rinse it well to remove the foam altogether.
    • Before cooking, you can refrigerate the soaked chickpeas for 2 to 3 days.

    Soaked Chickpeas

    • Wash the soaked chickpeas thoroughly 2 to 3 times. Then, drain them completely and add these to the instant pot inner pot.
    soaked chickpeas in the instant pot
    • Add 3 cups water, salt and close the instant pot with its lid.
    soaked chickpeas and water in the instant pot
    • Start the Instant Pot in manual or pressure cooker mode and cook for 10 minutes on high pressure.
    • 12 to 14 minutes on high pressure will yield soft chickpeas, ideal for making hummus.
    • Once the instant pot beeps, wait for 10 minutes and do a quick pressure release. You can leave it aside and let the pressure release naturally, also.
    • Your Instant pot chickpeas are ready. Drain the chickpeas and reserve the water. This reserved water can be added to hummus for a thinner consistency or make soup and curry.
    cooked chickpeas in a spoon

    Dried Chickpeas

    • Wash the chickpeas a couple of times. Then, drain them thoroughly and add these to the instant pot inner pot.
    • Add water and close the instant pot with its lid.
    • Start the Instant Pot in manual or pressure cooker mode and cook for 45 minutes on high pressure.
    • Once the instant pot beeps, wait for 10 minutes and do a quick pressure release. Or wait for a natural release of pressure.
    • Drain the chickpeas and save chickpeas and cooking liquid (you can make aquafaba using it) separately.

    Cooking times and water ratio

    Chickpeas ( 1 cup)WaterPressure cook time
    Soaked3 cups10 minutes
    Dried4 cups45 minutes

    Dried chickpeas - Cooked & Canned chickpeas

    One cup of dried chickpeas will yield around 3 cups of cooked chickpeas. And 3 cups of cooked chickpeas will be almost equivalent to 2 15oz canned chickpeas.

    Variations & flavorings

    Though plain chickpeas taste well, you can flavor the chickpeas to enhance them. Choose the flavors according to the recipes you want to make with cooked chickpeas.

    • Bay leaf - Add a couple of bay leaves to flavor the chickpeas. And use the liquid collected from draining cooked chickpeas to make a soup or curry. 
    • Vegetable broth - Instead of plain water, you can use vegetable broth or chicken broth to cook the chickpeas.
    • Whole garlic or onion - Slice the whole garlic into half and add it to the chickpeas to make garlic-flavored chickpeas. Once they are cooked, discard the garlic from the chickpeas. These chickpeas will taste good for hummus.
    • Salt - Though salt is optional in this recipe, I always add a little not to overcook chickpeas. And a simple salt will flavor the chickpeas very well.
    • Fresh herbs - You can add fresh herbs like thyme, oregano, mint, and cilantro stalks to flavor the garbanzo beans.
    • Kombu - Kombu will make beans more digestible(2). It will also help beans cook quicker, so I often use it when using a stovetop recipe. Kombu will give umami flavor to the chickpeas.

    Recipe Notes

    • Old beans take a longer time to cook. So make sure to use the beans as early as possible. If not, increase the pressure cook time.
    • If your beans are aged, it might take around 15 minutes on HIGH pressure to cook soaked chickpeas. And for unsoaked chickpeas, it will take about 55 minutes.
    • Buy the beans from the bulk section, as they will be fresh.
    • Chickpeas will be relatively smaller in size if you get them from Indian supermarkets. They will usually take less time. I cook them for 8 minutes on HIGH pressure for soaked chickpeas.
    • Chickpeas from American supermarkets will be larger, so cook soaked chickpeas for around 10 to 12 minutes on HIGH pressure.
    • Adding salt and acidic agents like tomatoes will hinder the cooking process, and chickpeas will take a little more time to cook.
    •  As chickpeas will start fermenting, only soak the beans for 12 hours at room temperature.
    • Dried beans will more than double in volume, so do not fill the instant pot with more than half.
    • Aged chickpeas will take more time to cook. So if your chickpeas are sitting for a long time in the cupboard, cook the soaked chickpeas for 15 minutes under high pressure. And for unsoaked chickpeas, it will take about 55 minutes.
    cooked garbanzo beans in a bowl

    How to store cooked chickpeas

    Always drain the cooked chickpeas before storing them in the freezer or refrigerator.

    To refrigerate the chickpeas:

    1. Divide them into portion-sized containers and keep them.
    2. When needed, take the required amount and use the chickpeas.
    3. Do not refrigerate them again; discard them if they smell or taste differently.
    4. Refrigerated chickpeas stay good for about 2 to 3 days.

    To freeze the chickpeas:

    1. I usually freeze them in portion-sized steel containers.
    2. You can use freezer-safe containers and store them.
    3. Take the required amount of chickpeas and thaw them overnight in the fridge or for a couple of hours at room temperature.
    4. Use the beans immediately, and do not refrigerate them again.
    5. Frozen chickpeas stay good for about 3 to 4 months.
    6. If you want to store all chickpeas in a single container, freeze them in a baking tray for an hour and then store them in a freezer-safe container. This way, you can take the required amount of chickpeas and use them.

    Common FAQ

    How long do you need to soak chickpeas?

    I usually soak overnight or for eight hours. If you are soaking them for longer, soak them in the refrigerator to avoid fermented beans, especially if the room temperature is high.

    How much does 1 cup of dried chickpeas make?

    One cup of dried chickpeas will yield around 2.5 cups of soaked chickpeas and about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas.

    Are chickpeas and garbanzo beans the same?

    Yes, both are the same. However, chickpea is a Latin word, and Garbanzo bean is a Spanish-derived name.

    What to do if chickpeas are undercooked?

    Sometimes, chickpeas are undercooked, especially when they are aged. In that case, close the Instant pot and cook them again for 5 to 10 minutes on HIGH pressure. If required, add a cup or more of water.

    Do we need to add baking soda while cooking chickpeas?

    We can leave baking soda out while cooking chickpeas. Properly soaked chickpeas cook well. However, a pinch of baking soda might soften the beans if you are out of time and forget to soak the chickpeas.

    Do chickpeas cause gas?

    Some people might develop indigestion issues when they consume Some people might develop indigestion issues when they consume beans. However, properly soaking and pressure cooking the chickpeas should solve the problem. You can even add a 1-inch stick of Kombu to aid digestion.

    Chickpeas recipes

    Now that we have freshly made chickpeas, why not see my recipes and make them at home?

    Chickpeas spinach curry

    Chickpeas vegetable curry

    Indian chickpea curry

    Black bean chickpea salad

    Chickpeas rice

    Instant pot Chickpea Curry

    As you are here, you will love my cooking 101 recipes. So try them and enjoy delicious home-cooked meals.

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    Recipe

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    instant pot chickpeas in a bowl

    Instant pot Garbanzo beans (Chickpeas) - Soaked & Unsoaked

    Sravanthi
    Learn how to cook chickpeas using an Instant pot using this easy recipe. And use homemade chickpeas in various recipes to make healthy lunch or dinner in no time.
    5 from 6 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine American, Global
    Servings 4
    Calories 67 kcal

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup chickpeas dried
    • 3 cups water 4 cups for dried chickpeas
    • ½ teaspoon salt optional

    Instructions
     

    Prep work (Optional)

    • Soak the chickpeas for 8 hours or overnight.
    • Discard the water from soaked chickpeas and wash them a couple of times.

    Soaked Chickpeas

    • Wash the soaked chickpeas thoroughly 2 to 3 times. Then, drain them completely and add these to the instant pot inner pot.
    • Add 3 cups water and salt (if using) and close the instant pot with its lid.
    • Start the Instant Pot in manual or pressure cooker mode and cook for 10 minutes on high pressure.
    • Once the instant pot beeps, wait for 10 minutes and do a quick pressure release. You can leave it aside and let the pressure release naturally also.
    • Your Instant pot chickpeas are ready.

    Dried Chickpeas

    • Wash the chickpeas a couple of times. Then, drain them thoroughly and add these to the instant pot inner pot.
    • Add water, salt (if using) and close the instant pot with its lid.
    • Start the Instant Pot in manual or pressure cooker mode and cook for 45 minutes on high pressure.
    • Once the instant pot beeps, wait for 10 minutes and do a quick pressure release. Or wait for a natural release of pressure.
    • Drain the chickpeas and save chickpeas and cooking liquid (you can make aquafaba using it) separately.

    Notes

    Nutrition values are my rough estimates. Please feel free to use your calculator if you rely on them for your diet.
     
    Aged chickpeas will take more time to cook. So if your chickpeas are sitting for a long time in the cupboard, cook the soaked chickpeas for 15 minutes on high pressure. And for unsoaked chickpeas, it will take about 55 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 67kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 302mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Hello, I’m Sravanthi. Here I share easy, healthy, and tasty recipes. I believe in “we are what we eat” and always try to eat homemade food. All my recipes are free from processed foods or ready-made foods and can be done easily without spending much time in the kitchen. more about me!

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