Tonight was Butter Chicken night! Got home at 5:45pm, knew I had everything to make it in the Instant Pot.
Fresh ginger-check, garlic-check, cilantro-check, all the spices-check…it was all here.
Yea!!! Dinner will be ready in an hour. Everything chopped, measured and put into Instant Pot. Plug in, lock the lid, pressure and time set, let that baby do its thing.
I grab the rice cooker, open the cabinet, spin the lazy susan, “where is the basmati rice?” “How can we be out of basmati rice?” Oh yeah, since I got the Instant Pot I have been making Indian food at least once a week!
Indian has been my favorite thing to make in it. Well, Indian food and cheesecake. But I can’t make cheesecake as frequently – my jeans wouldn’t appreciate it!
Here is the recipe I make. It’s from Urvashi Pitre’s Indian Instant Pot Cookbook
I actually double the recipe for a couple of reasons. I have a husband and an 18 year old who really likes to eat, and I have an 8 quart Instant Pot.
Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes do not drain
- 5-6 garlic cloves minces
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger minces
- 1 tsp turmeric ground
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper ground
- 2 tsp garam masala divided
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 4 oz butter cubed
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4-1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- In the inner cooking pot of the Instant Pot, add the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, 1 teaspoon garam masala, cumin and salt. Mix thoroughly, then place the chicken pieces on top of the sauce.
- Lock the lid into place. Select Manual and adjust the pressure to High. Cook for 10 minutes.
- When the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally. Unlock the lid. Carefully remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Using an immersion blender in the pot, blend together all the ingredients into a smooth sauce. Let the sauce cool for a several minutes.
- Add the butter cubes, cream, remaining 1 teaspoon of garam masala, and cilantro. Stir until well incorporated. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of the spoon when you're done.
- Remove half of the sauce and freeze it for later or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Add the chicken back to the sauce. Preheat the Instant Pot by selecting Saute and adjust to Less for low heat. Let the chicken heat through. Break it up into smaller pieces if you like, but don't shred it.
- Serve over rice or raw cucumber noodles.
Sounds delish! Hmm…should I add another gadget to an already over-flowing kitchen? Instant Pot, must check it out. Oh, and have you ever added peas to your Butter Chicken?
Definitely take a look at the Instant Pot. Just don’t leave it on the stove. There are people out there who melt theirs without thinking! Peas? Never even considered them. Let me know how you like them in your Butter Chicken!