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Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, can sub canola, vegetable or avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder (see note)
  • ½ cup thinly sliced onion
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic, about 4 medium sized cloves
  • 1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger, about 1-inch piece of ginger (freeze for easier grating or chopping)
  • 2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes (see note)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 ½ to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
  • Hot cooked rice or quinoa, for serving

Instructions 

  • In a stovetop or electric pressure cooker, heat the oil (use the Saute function on the InstantPot) until rippling and hot. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring constantly, for 30-45 seconds. Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
  • Add the tomatoes (and any liquid), salt, pepper, coconut milk, tomato sauce, and sugar. Close the lid on the pressure cooker. For a stovetop pressure cooker, bring to high pressure and cook for 10 minutes. For an electric pressure cooker, set the timer for 12 minutes at high pressure (on an InstantPot --> Manual --> dial down to 12 minutes).
  • Carefully release the pressure using quick release and remove the lid.
  • Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pressure cooker. Cook for another 3 minutes at high pressure. Let the pressure naturally release before removing the lid.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper. See the note above if you want to thicken the curry a bit. Serve over hot, cooked rice or quinoa.

Notes

Tomatoes: you can definitely try subbing one 14.5-ounce can diced or stewed tomatoes for the chopped tomatoes (although the fresh tomatoes give a delicious flavor boost).
Curry: also, like I mention in all my curry recipes, my favorite brand of curry powder is Penzey's Sweet Curry Powder. It's amazing and flavorful with not a lot of heat. Ultimately, use a curry powder you like the taste of (all brands differ in flavor and heat).
Thickening the Curry: this makes a fairly thin curry since the pressure cooker doesn't evaporate liquid. If you want a thicker curry, at the end of cooking time, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and add it to the hot curry, bringing to a simmer to thicken a bit.
Stovetop: an alternate to the pressure cooker method is to follow the instructions using a pot on the stovetop and simmering, partially covered, for 45 minutes to an hour (instead of the pressure cooking time). It will thicken and reduce the sauce slightly by doing so.
Veggies: I haven't tried it, but I think this would be delicious with potatoes or cauliflower; I'd add the diced veggies with the chicken and see how it goes.