We'll confess; we jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon last spring and honestly haven't looked back. As busy working parents who value nutrition and home cooking, the Instant Pot has saved us. You can throw ingredients in, set the time, then walk away and give your kid a bath, attention, monitor a meltdown--whatever--all the while knowing your dinner is cooking and, because it will shut off when it's done, you don't have to worry about your house burning down because you forgot about that thing cooking on the stove (admit it moms and dads- you've been there. . . ). Not to mention you can cook things FAST, like a whole chicken in 30 mins (one of our staple meals), or bone broth in 3 hours.
Now that it's winter, we are full force into cooking stews, soups, and other delicious warm meals. We wanted to post a couple of our current Instant Pot favorites in our house, starting with this Chicken Tikka Masala.
I literally love this meal, it is cooked a couple times a month in our house. It is absolutely delicious, and when cooked in a pressure cooker (especially if you also have a rice cooker), it's extremely easy. This can also be modified for various nutritional needs. The recipe below is gluten-free and can be eaten with rice. If Paleo, substitute the rice for cauliflower rice or eat it as a stew with extra veggies. If following the SIBO diet, make sure you get coconut milk without any thickeners (i.e. guar gum) which we've found at Trader Joe's and other natural food stores. Also omit the rice and choose your sautéed veggies based on the SCD guidelines.
Recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
Ingredients:
4 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground turmeric
3 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (with juice)
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup canned coconut milk
Juice of 1 lemon
Chopped fresh basil or cilantro (optional)
2 cups cooked rice or cauliflower rice
3 cups assorted chopped veggies (kale, broccoli, green beans, peppers, mushrooms, etc.)
Instructions:
1) If you plan to eat your tikka masala over rice, start cooking your rice in a rice cooker or on the stove per rice instructions.
2) Select sauté on your instant pot and turn to high heat. Once pot is hot add 2 tsp olive oil, ginger, and onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes stirring until onion is translucent.
3) Select cancel, and add all the spices to the onion mixture scraping the bottom to form a paste. Add the tomatoes, stir, then nestle the chicken on top. Pour chicken broth on top. Secure the lid.
4) Select manual and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.
5) While the Instant Pot is heating up and cooking, put a large pan on medium heat and add the other 2 tsp olive oil. Add the 3 cups of mixed chopped veggies. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft then remove from heat and set aside.
6) Once the Instant Pot beeps that the cooking is complete, use a quick release. Remove the lid and chop chicken (a fork is fine since it will be nice and tender).
7) Select sauté, and simmer for another 4-5 minutes. Add in coconut milk and lemon juice.
8) Season with salt as needed, and once mixture is thick, serve immediately over veggies and rice and top with fresh basil or cilantro.