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Christine Nesbitt's Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe

This is an insta pot recipe which is really quick to pull together, and makes lots of leftovers that freeze well too.

It can be done in about 30 minutes. It’s a real crowd pleaser, and a great meal to make ahead of time and reheat. 

    Ingredients

    • 1 big can (796 ml) canned tomatoes

       

    • 5-6 cloves garlic, peeled

       

    • 1-2 tsp minced ginger or 1 to 2 inch piece of ginger, sliced

       

    • 1 tsp turmeric

       

    • 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional if you want more heat)

       

    • 1 tsp smoked paprika

       

    • 1 tsp salt

       

    • 1.5 tsp garam masala

       

    • 1 tsp ground cumin

       

    • 4 to 8 chicken thighs or 2 to 6 chicken breasts (the recipe is flexible with the amount of meat. If frozen, add about 2-3 minutes to total cooking time)

       

    • 1 large white or yellow onion, quartered

       

    • 2-3 bell peppers (any colour) rough chopped

       

    To finish

    • ½ cup butter cut into cubes*, (use coconut oil if dairy-free) 

       

    • ½ cup (125ml) whipping cream OR ½ can coconut milk

       

    • 1 tsp garam masala

       

    • ½  cup dried fenugreek leaves, or chopped fresh cilantro

         

    •  *butter does really bring a lot of flavour, but if you want to use less, you can get away with 1/3 cup

    Instructions

    1

    Looking to the Instant Pot Ingredients list, mix together the canned tomatoes, garlic, ginger, the spices, and the vegetables in the instant pot. Place the chicken on top of the saucy mix. If the chicken is frozen, push it into the sauce a bit so it defrosts better.

     

    2

    Close the cooker and set for 11 minutes on high, and let it release pressure naturally for 10 to 12 minutes. After that, release all remaining pressure. 

     

    3

    Once pressure is fully released, open the pot, remove the chicken carefully and set aside in a bowl. Break chicken apart using two forks. Shred if desired.

     

    4

    Using an immersion blender,** blend together all the ingredients. Be careful, things are still very hot!
    ** You can use a blender, but be careful. If using a blender, make sure the lid is secure and hold it down. The heat from the sauce can cause the lid to pop off. It’s ok to wait a few extra minutes for things to cool down a bit.

     

    Finishing instructions

    1

     

    Now that the sauce has cooled slightly***, add the butter, cream, cilantro/fenugreek leaves, and final tsp of garam masala and stir until well incorporated.  Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

        ***When the sauce is very hot, the cream and butter will not thicken the sauce substantially.  If that happens, just put it in the fridge for a few minutes and it will thicken up. 

     

    2

    Add the chicken back into the sauce.

     

    Serving Tip

    1

    Serve over rice, or with gluten-free flatbread and enjoy!

    Recipe adapted by Christine Nesbitt from https://twosleevers.com/instant-pot-butter-chicken/#recipe

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