Butter Chicken
From "Indian Instant Pot Cookbook" by Urvashi Pitre
To make this vegetarian or vegan, add 1/4 cup of water or stock instead of chicken on the first cook. After dividing the sauce, add your tofu, other protein, or steamed vegetable of choice. (I've made it with chickpeas and with cauliflower and liked both.)
1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes — do not drain
5 or 6 garlic cloves, minced
1 T minced ginger
1 t ground turmeric
1 t ground cayenne pepper
1 t ground paprika
2 t Garam Masala, divided
1 t ground cumin
1 t salt
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
4 oz. butter, cubed, or 1/2 cup coconut oil (I used butter at GAW)
1/2 cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk (I used cream at GAW)
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Combine the first nine ingredients, reserving 1 teaspoon of Garam Masala, in the InstaPot. Mix thoroughly, then place chicken on top.
Lock lid into place, select Manual, set pressure to High, and cook for 10 minutes. Allow natural release. Remove chicken and set it aside.
Blend ingredients in the pot with an immersion blender or transfer to blender or food processor and blend to smooth sauce.
Add butter, cream, remaining teaspoon of Garam Masala, and cilantro. Stir to incorporate — sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. (ed: If you do a lot of Indian cooking and happen to have Amchur [mango] powder, this would be where you'd add a little pinch to brighten things up. I forgot to for GAW, but I have in the past and I like it.)
Remove half the sauce and freeze it or refrigerate for up to three days. (ed: I thought this part of the recipe was bullshit, but it really does make a TON of sauce. For GAW, I doubled the chicken but kept the sauce amount the same, and it was plenty saucy — though the extra juices from the chicken did make it a little runnier.)
Add chicken back to the sauce. If you're doing a vegetarian version, this is where you'd add your precooked protein or veg. Preheat by selecting Sauté and adjust to Less for low heat. Let the chicken heat through — break into smaller pieces if you want, but it shouldn't be shredded. Serve over basmati rice. (ed: If you can get Martin to prepare homemade naan to go with it, you should totally do that.)
