Cooking Lesson #87 Instant Pot Peanut Chicken Curry

Instant Pot Peanut Chicken Curry

How you doin’? How would you like to spend a weekend in India? Oops, so sorry that kind of travel is impossible during the worldwide pandemic. But here is the next best thing… my Instant Pot Peanut Chicken Curry recipe.
 
There are so many bad curries out there (almost as many as crappy Indian restaurants). Some recipes are lacking in the layers of flavors leaving a non-descript curry flavor; others are so overpowering it’s like licking the cap of the spice bottle. Some recipes just use a mono-flavored curry powder that doesn’t bring out the layering of a mix of spice and herbs. A good curry should have many different spices, i.e. turmeric, coriander, cumin, garlic, black pepper, fenugreek, cinnamon, fennel, nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne, cilantro, cloves, cardamom and ginger.
 
There are some recipes that suggest that you put your final curry over a bed of rice. They don’t tell you what kind of rice to use. Please don’t use Uncle Ben’s—that’s okay for some things. For this recipe, use a good long-grain rice with a slightly floral aroma and a soft, sticky texture, like Jasmine or Basmati rice. Plan your cook time accordingly so you can rinse and soak the rice for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
 
Prep time:  35 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes / rice and curry can cook concurrently
Yield:  4 to 6 servings
 
Ingredients
 
For the rice
2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and soaked
 
For the curry
4 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
1-pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes
1 cup yellow onion, minced
3 small Yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2-1/2 tablespoons curry powder (I prefer Penzeys’ Curry Powder)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1 10-oz. can Ro-Tel dice tomatoes and green chilies
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar packed
5 oz. spinach, room temperature (thawed and drained, if frozen)
For the garnish
6 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
6 tablespoons toasted sweetened coconut
6 tablespoons mango chutney
 
Directions
To make the rice

1. Cook the rice according to the package instructions. 

To make the curry

1. Set an Instant Pot to SAUTÉ.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the peanut oil over medium heat; add the chicken, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
3. Add the onion and potatoes and sauté until the onions begins to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. 
4. Add the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil, ginger, garlic, coriander, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
6. Add back the chicken and stir to coat the chicken in spices.
7. Add the Ro-Tel with juices and stir to scrape up any of the bits of chicken or spices stuck to the bottom of the pot to deglaze. 
8. Add the peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar—stir well.
9. CANCEL SAUTÉ and put the lid on the Instant Pot making sure to close the vent.
10. Set the Instant Pot to PRESSURE for 25 MINUTES.
11. Do a NATURAL RELEASE for 10 MINUTES and then fully vent the Instant Pot.
12. Open the lid and add the spinach and stir to fully bend.
13. Serve the chicken curry piping hot on a bed of rice.
14. Garnish with chopped peanuts, coconut flakes and mango chutney on the side.

ChefSecret: 

• In dishes like this I often use chicken thighs because they have a little more flavor and do not dry out when reheated. If using chicken thighs increase the amount to 1-1/2-pounds.
• If you like your curry a little spicier, sparingly add cayenne pepper—a little at a time—until you get the heat level you prefer.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Just wait a second—so you’re telling me that my chance of surviving all this is directly linked to the common sense of others?”
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