Pressure Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken

Created Tuesday 09 April 2019

Source: NYT

Description

YIELD: 4 servings
TIME: 1 hour

The highly spiced coconut sauce here is so good, you’ll want to slather it on anything! And it’s a great and adaptable medium for cooking other proteins — not just chicken. Try cubes of lamb, fish fillets, or chunks of pork. Or, if you prefer boneless chicken breasts to thighs, use them here, pressure-cooking them for 2 minutes instead of 4.

When serving, tell your guests to be aware of the cardamom pods so they don’t accidentally bite into one—or use the ground cardamom instead. And note that brands of garam masala vary in terms of their chile content, so some are hotter than others. If you’re unsure how hot your mix is, add it gradually to the pot, tasting as you go.

Ingredients

• 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, crushed by hand

• 3 tablespoons ghee, unsalted butter or safflower oil

• 3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

• 2 cups finely chopped onions

• 6 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced

• 2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 3-inch cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 8 cardamom pods, lightly crushed with the flat side of a knife, or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 2 teaspoons garam masala

• ½ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

• Cooked basmati rice, for serving (optional)

• Plain yogurt, for serving (optional)

• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

Transfer diced tomatoes to a bowl and crush by hand until no large chunks remain.

Step 2

Using the sauté function, heat the ghee and the coconut oil in the pressure cooker. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring often to encourage even browning, until they are caramelized, 12 to 18 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon and cardamom and cook for another minute. Then stir in the coriander, salt, turmeric, red pepper flakes, black pepper and finally the tomato purée.

Step 3

Add the chicken to the sauce, cover and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate. Using two forks shred the chicken into thin strings. If the sauce seems too thin, simmer the sauce on the sauté setting until it has thickened to taste. (Note that the coconut milk will thin the sauce down further.) Stir in the shredded chicken, garam masala and the coconut milk, and let the curry sit for 20 minutes for the flavors to meld. Serve with the rice and yogurt, if desired. Garnish with cilantro.