Pressure Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken
(Serves 4)
The hardest ingredient to find for any weeknight recipe is time. Tuesdays after work just don’t have a lot of it, and it’s not as if you can order it online.
A slow cooker can help by doing the cooking while you’re at the office. Just load it up in the morning and come home after work to a fragrant, hearty meal.
3 to 4 ripe tomatoes, halved through their equators
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
1/2 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
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1,1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2,5cm chunks
1 to 2 teaspoons garam masala, to taste
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
Cooked basmati rice, for serving (optional)
Plain yoghurt, for serving (optional)
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Set a box grater over a bowl. Starting with their cut sides, grate the tomatoes through the large holes of the box grater so the tomato pulp falls into the bowl. Discard the skins. Measure out 2 cups of tomato purée.
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.
Add the chicken to the sauce, cover and cook on low pressure for 4 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally. If the sauce seems too thin, use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a bowl and then 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 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.
Note: If you’d rather use a slow cooker, cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 4 to 5 hours, adding the coconut milk during the last hour.
The New York Times