A much loved recipe of chicken that is extremely simple, quick and cooked with basic ingredients available at home. A tender chunky chicken in gravy is so tasty to go perfect with steamed rice, or rotis or parathas.
Ingredients and their substitutes
Chicken : The recipe can make use of both bone-in as well as boneless chicken.
At times, I prefer to make it using chicken breasts cubes as my little one loves the meat without bones. But, then consider adding chicken broth instead of water. The flavor increases in folds.
Even Chicken Thighs and Chicken legs works like charm here!
Onions : Either sliced, chopped or ground to paste. Whatever you use, that’s fine! However, finely chopped or grated onions works great.
Tomatoes : Tomatoes can go in chopped or ground to paste. Feel free to use canned tomatoes, if you like it.
Yogurt : Whisk well and add into curry. It gives nice taste and base to the gravy.
You can also make it dairy free! Just replace the yogurt with either coconut yogurt or cashew sour cream.
In fact, you can add coconut milk as well coconut cream to this chicken curry. This will give more of a coastal flavor to the dish.
Fresh spices : Fresh spices that goes in are Ginger paste, garlic paste and green chilies either chopped or crushed/paste, lemon juice.
If you you do not have ginger and garlic paste handy, then I would recommend using grated /minced garlic and ginger. Please feel free to use chopped Serrano peppers instead of green chilies.
Whole Spices : You need bay leaves, cloves, green cardamom, peppercorns, cumin seeds and cinnamon sticks.
Spice powders : Red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder.
You can add Cayenne pepper or Paprika instead of red chili powder. Add chopped green coriander leaves to finish the dish.
Step by step instructions
Switch on the IP, place the inner pot and press Sauté mode.
1- Once the IP displays ‘Hot’, add oil in the pot and heat for 30 secs. Then, add all the wholes spices and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
2 & 3- Now, add ginger, garlic, and chopped or crushed green chilies, fry for a 30 seconds.
Stir to avoid it sticking at the bottom of the pot. In this case, you can add 1-2 tbsp of water to deglaze it.
4- Add chopped onions along with some salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until soft and pink.
5- Now, add chicken pieces and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
6- Add chopped or grated tomatoes, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and cumin powder sauté for another 1-2 minutes, stir in between.
Note : Add little water and deglaze the pot only if anything gets stuck at the bottom.
7- Then, add whisked yogurt and mix well, cook for 1 minute.
8- Add ¼ – ½ cup of water, garam masala powder and mix.
9- Now, Put the lid of the IP with pressure valve in sealing position. Press Manual/Pressure cook mode and set the pressure cooking time to 6 minutes high.
10- Once the pressure cooking is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Then, manually quick release the pressure by turning the valve from sealing to venting position.
11- Finally, add lemon juice, coriander leaves and mix.