The Instant Pot remains one of the hottest kitchen gadgets out there, but some people are afraid to give it a try, or they think their slow cooker is better. To dispell your Instant Pot cooking nightmares, we invited in Annabel Cohen, a professional chef with Annabel Cohen Cooks Detroit.
Cohen loves the Instant Pot saying it is your whole kitchen in one device. The machine works as both a stove and an oven, and doesn't take nearly as long as a slow cooker. It is a pressure cooker so that in itself has a lot of people on edge but there is no need to be, as Chef Cohen explained. You do have to release the pressure when it is done cooking, but she recommends just putting a cloth over it to keep the steam from going everywhere. The machine will also not start if the lid is not on properly and it will not let you take the lid off until it is depressurized, minimizing user error.
Cohen then shared her recipe for Butter Chicken:
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
2 cups canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup chopped onions
1 Tbsp. minced garlic garlic
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp.cayenne pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
To finish:
½ cup (1 stick) butter or ghee cut into cubes
½ cup heavy cream 1 tsp. garam masala
1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Garnish: Fresh lemon wedges
Place all ingredients into the Instant Pot in the order listed.
Seal the lid and set on the stew setting. When finished, release the pressure.
Open the pot and remove the chicken and set aside.
Let the sauce cool for 10-minutes.
Blend together all the ingredients with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor.
Add the butter, cream, cilantro, and garam masala and stir until well incorporated.
Add the chicken back to the pot and heat through. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve hot, over cooked basmati rice. Makes 4-6 servings.