Instant Pot Coconut Chickpea and Spinach Sauce

Name: Instant Pot Coconut Chickpea and Spinach Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral cooking oil (vegetable, canola, or light olive oil); 1 medium (150 g) medium yellow onion, finely diced; 1½ tablespoons (12 g) fresh ginger, minced; 3 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground cumin; ½ teaspoon (1 g) ground coriander; ¼ teaspoon (1.3 ml) red pepper flakes (or Kashmiri chili powder); 2 cans (15 oz each) (850 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, drained and rinsed; 1½ cans (13.5 oz each) (600 ml) unsweetened full-fat coconut milk; 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable broth or water; 2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste; 4 cups, packed (120 g) fresh baby spinach; to taste kosher salt; to taste freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lime juice (optional); ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A silky, aromatic Indian-spiced sauce made in the Instant Pot with tender chickpeas, creamy coconut milk, and wilted spinach. Infused with ginger, turmeric, and warm spices, this vegetarian sauce is quick enough for weeknight dinners and pairs beautifully with pasta, rice, or naan.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 10 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 40 min
Makes: About 4 cups sauce (4 servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

2 tablespoons (30 ml) neutral cooking oil (vegetable, canola, or light olive oil)
1 medium (150 g) medium yellow onion, finely diced
1½ tablespoons (12 g) fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric
1 teaspoon (3 g) ground cumin
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground coriander
¼ teaspoon (1.3 ml) red pepper flakes (or Kashmiri chili powder)
2 cans (15 oz each) (850 g) canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, drained and rinsed
1½ cans (13.5 oz each) (600 ml) unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste
4 cups, packed (120 g) fresh baby spinach
to taste kosher salt
to taste freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lime juice (optional)
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped (optional)

Equipment (5)

Instant Pot (6-quart or 8-quart)
Sharp knife and cutting board
Can opener (if using canned chickpeas)
Measuring cups and spoons
Wooden spoon or silicone spatula

Steps

Before you start

Read through the recipe—total time is only 40 minutes
If using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and cook separately first
Have all ingredients measured and prepped before starting (mise en place)
Keep a kitchen towel or silicone oven mitt nearby for safe pressure release

1
Sauté aromatics
- Set your Instant Pot to the Sauté function (medium heat).
- Once the pot is hot, add 2 tablespoons oil.
- When shimmering, add the diced onion and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant.
- The onion should smell sweet and appear slightly translucent at the edges.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and fragrant, slightly translucent at edges
Tip: Don't skip sautéing—this builds flavor in the sauce base.
2
Add ginger, garlic, and spices
- Stir in the minced ginger and garlic, cooking for 30 seconds until very fragrant.
- Then add the turmeric, cumin, coriander, and red pepper flakes.
- Stir constantly for 30 seconds to toast the spices and cook out any raw flavor.
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Ready when: Spices are fragrant and coat the mixture; no raw smell
Tip: Toast the spices briefly to release their essential oils and prevent a dusty flavor in the finished sauce.
3
Add tomato paste
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- The paste should darken slightly and caramelize a bit, deepening the sauce's color and reducing any raw tomato tang.
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Ready when: Tomato paste is darker and slightly caramelized
Tip: Caramelizing the paste builds umami depth that makes the sauce taste richer.
4
Deglaze and add liquids
- Pour in 1 cup vegetable broth or water, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits stuck to the surface.
- These brown bits are flavorful and must come up to avoid clogging the pressure valve.
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Ready when: All brown bits are loosened and incorporated into the liquid
Tip: Proper deglazing prevents the Instant Pot from throwing an error due to food particles blocking the pressure valve.
5
Add chickpeas and coconut milk
- Stir in the drained chickpeas and the coconut milk.
- Stir well to combine everything.
- The mixture should look creamy and uniform, with chickpeas distributed throughout.
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Ready when: All ingredients are evenly mixed, no streaks of coconut milk
6
Pressure cook
- Turn off Sauté mode.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing.
- Select Manual (or Pressure Cook) mode and set the time to 1 minute at high pressure.
- The pot will take about 5–7 minutes to come to pressure.
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Ready when: Pressure indicator shows the pot is at high pressure
Tip: One minute is enough time to marry the flavors; the chickpeas are already soft from canning.
7
Quick release and wilt spinach
- When the timer beeps, carefully switch the valve to Venting to perform a quick release of steam.
- Once all pressure has escaped and the float valve drops, open the lid.
- Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until each addition is wilted (about 30 seconds per handful).
- The spinach will shrink significantly.
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Ready when: All spinach is wilted and dark green, no bright leaves remain
Tip: Do a quick release to stop the cooking immediately. Adding spinach after cooking keeps it bright and tender rather than mushy.
8
Season and finish
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and black pepper to your liking.
- If desired, stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice for brightness and acidity that balances the richness of coconut.
- Top with fresh cilantro if using.
- The sauce should smell fragrant, taste creamy and warming, with a slight kick of spice.
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Ready when: Sauce is creamy, evenly colored, and well-seasoned
Tip: Lime juice is optional but highly recommended—it brightens the sauce and cuts the coconut richness.

Good to know

Tips

This sauce is naturally vegan and gluten-free (assuming oil and broth are too). Serve over rice, pasta, flatbread, or roasted vegetables.
If your sauce is thicker than you prefer, whisk in a splash more broth or water on Sauté mode. If it's too thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce.
For extra creaminess without more coconut, stir in a dollop of Greek yogurt or dairy sour cream at the end (off the heat).
This recipe is highly adaptable: add diced tomatoes, red bell peppers, or green peas in step 5 before pressure cooking, or stir in pumpkin or butternut squash purée for autumn richness.

Make ahead

Prepare the onion, ginger, and garlic up to 1 day ahead and store in the fridge in separate containers. The complete sauce (before adding spinach) can be pressure-cooked up to 2 days ahead; reheat gently on Sauté mode and add fresh spinach when ready to serve.

Storage & reheating

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months (spinach will lose texture, but flavor remains excellent). Reheat gently in the Instant Pot on Sauté mode or on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. If freezing, add fresh spinach after reheating for best texture.

Substitutions

fresh baby spinach → Chopped fresh kale or Swiss chard. More robust greens can be added earlier if desired—no need to wait until the end. They'll cook down into the sauce.
canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed → Cooked lentils (brown or green) or white beans (cannellini). Use the same amount. Adjust cooking time: skip pressure cooking if using pre-cooked beans, or include 5 minutes of pressure cooking for dried beans.
unsweetened full-fat coconut milk → Cashew cream (1 cup raw cashews soaked 30 min and blended with 1 cup water) or heavy cream. For a less coconut-forward flavor. Cashew cream is vegan; cream is richer but less traditional.
red pepper flakes (or Kashmiri chili powder) → ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne pepper. Kashmiri chili is milder and gives beautiful red color; cayenne is hotter. Adjust to your spice tolerance.