Are you craving a silky, creamy plate of butter chicken? Butter chicken or murgh makhani is one of the most universally beloved Northern Indian curries of all time, largely thanks to its richly flavoured buttery tomato-based sauce and succulent chicken.
Butter chicken is honestly one of our favourite weeknight dinners. Made in the Instant Pot, you’ll need only basic supermarket ingredients, and the prep and cook time is minimal. This curry is simply huge in flavour and is the perfect meal to pop into the pot and leave to do its thing. The addition of chickpeas alongside the chicken makes this both a budget friendly and veg forward weeknight dinner. The butter chicken cooks pot in pot alongside the rice making this a seriously low fuss meal.
As this curry recipe is prepared in the Instant Pot, you’re locking in flavour and moisture, and saving yourself hours of cooking time. Win! Serve this curry with rice, naan or roti and enjoy the deliciously authentic flavour of a butter chicken curry in a fraction of the time.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp of chili powder, adjust to your preference
- 1 tsp fenugreek powder or seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 2-3/ 300g boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized chunks
- 400g tin chickpeas
- 250ml 1 cup of cream or yoghurt
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
To serve: hot cooked rice, naan or roti
Method:
- Select Sauté on the Instant Pot and add the oil and diced onion.
- Sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and ginger paste. Sauté for another minute while stirring.
- Add all the spices and sauté for 1 more minute, then add the tomato paste and 1 cup/250ml water and give everything a stir.
- Add the chicken breast and chickpeas, using a spatula to ensure the chicken sits in an even layer, but do not stir it too much, and press cancel.
- If making pot in pot rice, mix the rice, water and salt in a suitably sized bowl, and then place this on the long-legged trivet into the inner pot.
- Secure the lid and select pressure cook, setting the time to 5 minutes. Once cooked, allow the pressure to release naturally for 7 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
- Open the lid, remove the bowl of rice, and fluff with a fork.
- Give the butter chicken a mix then stir through the cream/yoghurt and the butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately with the rice, plus naan or roti.