Use the Saute feature of your Instant Pot, use the Adjust button to set the heat to More (high). Heat about a tablespoon of water, then add the onion and a pinch of salt and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and jalepeno pepper and saute for 2 minutes. Add water a little at a time if things begin to stick.
Add the curry powder and garam masala. Stir to combine and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and saute until they're very soft and starting to fall apart, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the soaked chickpeas and water, and stir to combine. Add the bay leaf.
Turn off the Saute setting. Close the Instant Pot lid, and make sure the steam release handle is in the Sealing position. Cook on Manual (or Pressure Cook) mode for 30 minutes.
Allow the Instant Pot to do a Natural Release for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, do a Quick Release--carefully move the steam release handle to the Venting position to release the additional steam until the float valve drops down. Press Cancel and open the lid.
The chana masala will thicken a bit as it rests. But if desired, you can thicken it more by sautéing a few minutes on medium heat. Add sea salt to taste.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon and chopped cilantro, if desired.
Notes
To soak dried chickpeas: Cover them in enough water so there are several of inches of water at the top of the bowl/container, and let them soak at least 8 hours or overnight. (I use 6 cups of water to 2 cups of chickpeas.)To quick soak chickpeas the Instant Pot. If you forget to soak your chickpeas, you can do a quick soak method right in the Instant Pot. Simply cover 2 cup of dried chickpeas with 6 cups of water and cook them in the Instant Pot for 2 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then move the steam release valve to Venting to release any pressure. Rinse and drain the chickpeas, and now they’re ready to cook as if they’ve been soaked overnight. To use canned/cooked chickpeas. Use 2-15 ounce cans of chickpeas, drained. Reduce water to ¾ cup. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, and do a quick release.Curry powder is not traditional in this dish, but has many of the same spices as most chana masala recipes. It's delicious in this dish--and a great short cut if you don't keep a selection of Indian spices on hand.To save time, you could process the onion in a food processor. While the onion is sauteing in the IP, process the ginger, garlic and green chili pepper in the food processor and add it to the sauteed onion.Amchur, or ground mango powder, is considered by many to be essential in an authentic chana masala recipe. I didn't include it because it may not be readily available for everyone. But please give it a try if you want to buy it online or at a local Indian grocery. If using, add it with the other spices.