Anupy Singla, author of the new cookbook Instant Pot Indian
http://www.indianasapplepie.com
Anupy’s new cookbook Instant Pot Indian, now on shelves and available everywhere books are sold.
Events:
-Anupy’s Virtual Launch party, streaming live on www.indianaasapplepie.com, and on Anupy’s social media (FB: @IndianAsApplePie, IG: @IndianAsApplePie, Twitter: @IndianApplePie) on Saturday April 29 at 10:30 AM CT.
-A virtual cooking class hosted by Bookends & Beginnings (1620 Orrington Ave., Evanston) on Tuesday, May 2 at 7 pm. Register here: https://www.bookendsandbeginnings.com/event/bookends-university-online-cooking-workshop-instant-pot-indian
-Demo and tasting at Bloomingdales on May 20 at 2 pm at Bloomingdales in the 900 N. Michigan Ave. building (Chicago).
Recipe:
Murg Makhani
Butter Chicken
It took me more than two dozen tries to perfect this dish in the Instant Pot and get to the point where my family prefers it over the restaurant version. Making it at home means that you don’t have to overload it with butter or cream, so you can feel less guilty about eating it and feeding it to your family.
| 3 Quart | |
| Yield | 4–6 servings |
| Warm up | 8 mins |
| Cook | 15 mins |
| Cool down | 10 mins NR + MR |
| Total time | 33 mins |
| Ingredients | 3 Quart |
| ghee or unsalted butter (dairy or alternative) | 4 Tbsp |
| green cardamom pods, lightly crushed (keep the husks) | 1 |
| black cardamom pods (no need to crush) | 1 |
| cloves, finely ground | 6 |
| cassia leaves (or bay leaves) | 1 (or 2) |
| almond flour | 1/4 cup |
| turmeric powder | 1/2 tsp |
| yellow or red onions, puréed | 1 small |
| piece of ginger, puréed | 1 (2-inch) |
| cloves of garlic, puréed | 6 |
| fresh Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed, thinly sliced | 2–4 |
| garam masala | 2 tsp |
| ground cumin | 2 tsp |
| red chile powder or cayenne pepper | 2 tsp |
| paprika (unsmoked) | 2 tsp |
| light brown sugar | 2 tsp |
| salt | 1 Tbsp |
| water | 1/4 cup |
| boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces | 2 lb |
| tomatoes, puréed | 1 medium |
| unsalted tomato paste | 1 Tbsp |
| half-and-half or heavy cream (dairy or alternative) | 1/4 cup |
| chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish | 2 Tbsp |
1. Place the inner pot in your Instant Pot. Select the SAUTE setting and adjust to NORMAL. When the indicator flashes HOT, add the ghee, green and black cardamom, cloves, and cassia or bay leaves. Stir and cook for
1 minute.
2. Add the flour. Stir and cook for 40 seconds. You can also add ½ cup of ground blanched almonds or use all-purpose or quinoa flour instead.
3. Add the turmeric. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Add the onions. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the ginger, garlic, and fresh chiles. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the garam masala, cumin, red chile powder, paprika, brown sugar, and salt. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
7. Press CANCEL. Carefully remove the inner pot and place on a heat-resistant surface. Once cool enough to handle, transfer the contents to a bowl. Scrape the bottom to loosen anything stuck—use a tablespoon of water and warm the pot on the SAUTE setting to help deglaze if needed.
8. Return the inner pot to the base. Add the water and then place a trivet in the pot. Place the chicken on the trivet and then add the mixture from Step 7 on top of the chicken. Do NOT stir.
9. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Again, do not stir—the key is to prevent the tomatoes from touching the bottom during the cooking process.
10. Lock the lid into place and make sure the pressure release valve is set to the sealing position (upwards). Press the PRESSURE COOK button and then press the PRESSURE LEVEL button until the panel reads LOW. Adjust the cook time to 15 minutes.
11. Once the cooking is complete, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Then manually release any remaining pressure, press CANCEL, and remove the lid. Let the dish cool for 2–3 minutes and then remove the trivet with tongs and stir until all the chicken is coated. Remove and discard the green cardamom husks, the black cardamom, and cassia or bay leaves or leave them in for flavor and eat around them. All the other spices are edible. Add the cream and stir. The cream holds up better once the dish cools slightly.Garnish with the cilantro and serve with basmati rice or Indian bread like rotior naan.
NOTE: This recipe features measurements for the 3 Quart size Instant Pot. Instructions and measurements for the 6 Quart and 8 Quart Instant Pot sizes can be found in Instant Pot Indian.
Reprinted with permission from Instant Pot Indian by Anupy Singla, Agate, April 2023.
