Butter Chicken

A recipe that uses a shocking amount of butter and chicken. Therefore, butter chicken.

Notes

• Put onions in to make the curry base. No one will know. It’s good too.
• If putting veggies in, add them AFTER pressure cooking.
• Carrots would be great.
• Bell peppers might be good, but they have a LOT of water, especially if put in before pressure cooking.
• Simmer after cooking. Instructions are simple: bring the temperature up and boil down the mixture if needed. It will thicken as it cools, but we don’t typically serve things cold.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings + extra sauce

Ingredients

• 1 14-ounce can tomatoes
• 5-6 cloves garlic
• 1-2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or use breast, bone-in, or whatever works for you. If frozen, add 1-2 minutes to the total time)
• 4 ounces butter, cut into cubes (use coconut oil if dairy-free)
• 4 ounces heavy cream (use full-fat coconut milk if dairy-free)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

1. Place all ingredients into an Instant Pot in the order listed, EXCEPT for the butter, cream, and 1 teaspoon of the garam masala. Mix the sauce well before placing the chicken on top of the sauce. If frozen, push it into the sauce a bit so it defrosts better.
2. Close the cooker and set it for 10 minutes on high. Let it release pressure naturally for 10 minutes, then release all remaining pressure.
3. Open the pot, remove the chicken carefully, and set it aside.
4. Blend together all the ingredients, preferably using an immersion blender.
5. Add the cut-up butter, cream, cilantro, and garam masala, stirring until well incorporated.
6. Let the sauce cool just a little before adding the butter and the cream. Adding it to the boiling sauce will make it very thin. If that happens, just put it in the fridge for a bit to thicken up. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
7. Take out half the sauce and freeze for later or store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
8. Add the chicken back in and heat through. Break it up into smaller pieces if needed, but don’t shred it.
9. Serve over rice or zucchini noodles.

Using Leftover Sauce

• Use leftover cooked chicken and mix it with the gently heated sauce. Let it simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to meld together. Add some fresh cilantro on top.
• You could also use this for Paneer Makhani. Defrost a cup of peas and 1 cup of paneer, mix gently into the heated sauce, and let it simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to meld together.