Instant Pot Butter Chicken with Cauliflower
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Instant Pot Butter Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower
Making curry always reminds me of my Mother in Law. She was a wonderful Sri Lankan cook who would serve at least 4 dishes plus rice at every meal. Her cooking was beautiful, fresh, and healthy. Although she never made butter chicken, she enjoyed eating it whenever we ordered from the delicious Indian restaurant near our house. She taught me to appreciate that the little things like using fresh spices could add the biggest flavour to a curry, and to always rinse my rice.
This beautiful Instant Pot Butter Chicken with Cauliflower is tasty, aromatic, flavourful, and warm. The yogurt marinade adds a depth of flavour to the chicken that couldn’t be attained if the spices were simply added during the cooking process. The tang of the yogurt and acidity of the tomatoes are perfectly balanced by the richness of the cream and butter. The best part about this delectable meal is that it comes together in an hour and a half thanks to the pressure cook of my Instant Pot. It’s a complex and beautiful dish that I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as my family does.
TOTAL TIME
- Preparation Time – 15 minutes
- Cooking Time – 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 45 minutes marinating time
- Total Time – 2 hr 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS FOR INSTANT POT BUTTER CHICKEN WITH CAULIFLOWER
All the ingredients for this tasty Instant Pot Butter Chicken are easy to source from any local grocer.
Yogurt Marinade
- 1/2 cup Yogurt
- 2 tbsp Cumin powder
- 4 tsp Paprika
- 4 tsp Garam masala
- 4 tsp Lime juice
- 3 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 tsp Freshly grated ginger
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 1/2 lbs Chicken thighs
Butter Chicken Sauce
- 4 tbsp Salted butter
- 1 Vidalia onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp Freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 can Diced tomatoes
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp Lime zest
Basmati Rice
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 4 Cardamom pods
- 3 Cloves
- 1 1/2 cups Chicken broth
Roasted Cauliflower
- 2 tbsp Avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Lime juice
- 1 Head of cauliflower
CAN I MAKE THIS ON THE STOVE TOP?
You can definitely make this delicious curry on the stove top. Just keep in mind you’ll need to give the flavours longer to marinate, so I’d suggest cooking the sauce for some time before you add the chicken. I’d suggest you need at least twice, if not three times, as long to cook this beautiful curry on the stove top.
CAN I MAKE THIS VEGETARIAN?
You could certainly make this vegetarian if you wish. Although I’ve never made this beautiful curry without chicken, I believe that a firm tofu would be a lovely substitute.
CAN I USE POWDERED GINGER AND GARLIC INSTEAD OF FRESH?
You should not use powdered garlic and ginger here. Fresh ginger and garlic are much more potent than the dry powder version, so if you absolutely have to use them you need to up the quantity. I would suggest doubling the quantities.
CAN I MAKE PLAIN RICE INSTEAD OF SEASONED RICE?
You can certainly use plain white rice. However, this method gives you flavourful seasoned rice without even adding curry. This is a method that my Mother in Law taught me for cooking rice, and I always use it when I make curries.
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS FOR BUTTER CHICKEN
CAN I USE ANOTHER MEAT INSTEAD OF CHICKEN?
A delicious alternative to chicken in this recipe is shrimp or prawns. Given how quickly they cook, I would suggest adding them after the pressure cooking is complete. They should cook within 3-5 minutes while you simmer your sauce.
CAN I MAKE THIS DISH DAIRY FREE?
You can make this delicious dish dairy free! If the issue is lactose, I would suggest using lactose free dairy. If the issue is dairy, I would recommend using coconut cream (the thick coconut liquid that separates from the milk in the can) in place of the heavy cream, and coconut oil at room temperature (for ease of measurement) in place of butter.
CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF RICE?
Basmati rice is a beautiful, fragrant, long grained white rice. It’s traditionally used in Indian cooking, and is absolutely delicious. It’s a favourite in my home, so I use it often even when I’m not making curries. You can certainly use a different kind of rice if you prefer: cooking method should be the same.
EQUIPMENT FOR INSTANT POT BUTTER CHICKEN WITH CAULIFLOWER
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Below is a list of the main equipment/kitchen tools needed to make Delicious Instant Pot Butter Chicken:
- Instant Pot – I find the Instant Pot to be a wonderful tool for the preparation of curries. It allows me to walk away while they are cooking without concern, and it reduces the cooking time for a deeply flavourful curry exponentially . I highly recommend purchasing this tool if you like to make curries that need to simmer for long periods of time.
- Wooden Spoon
- Baking Dish
- Fine grater or zester
COOKING DIRECTIONS FOR INSTANT POT BUTTER CHICKEN
This Instant Pot Butter Chicken with Cauliflower is easy and delicious as long as you follow a few rules:
- Use fresh ginger, garlic, and lime juice in your curry .
- Make sure to give your chicken time to marinate.
- Don’t be afraid to really season your curry.
MAKE AHEAD STORAGE
If you’d like to save some time, you can marinate your chicken in advance the night before.
This Butter Chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. It can also be frozen in an air tight container. I wouldn’t suggest freezing the rice as it will get very dried out, but the butter chicken will freeze beautifully.
FINISHED DISH
Enjoy this delicious and tasty Instant Pot Butter Chicken with Roasted Cauliflower!
OTHER CHICKEN DISHES
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a comment and rating below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #cooking.with.carbs.
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Instant Pot with Butter Chicken and Cauliflower
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Wooden spoon
- Kitchen knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
Yogurt Marinade
- 1/2 cup Yogurt plain
- 2 tbsp Cumin powder
- 4 tsp Paprika
- 4 tsp Garam masala
- 4 tsp Lime juice
- 3 tsp Kosher salt
- 2 tsp Freshly grated ginger
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 1/2 lb Chicken thighs boneless, skinless
Butter Chicken Sauce
- 4 tbsp Salted butter
- 1 Vidalia onion
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp Freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 can Diced tomatoes
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp Lime zest
Basmati Rice
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 4 Cardomom pods
- 3 Cloves
- 1 1/2 cups Chicken broth
Roasted Cauliflower
- 2 tbsp Avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp Lime juice
- 1 Head of cauliflower
Instructions
Yogurt Marinade
- In a large bowl mix all the marinade ingredients, and chop the chicken into one inch pieces.
- Mix the chicken into the marinade, cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
Butter Chicken Sauce
- Using the sautee function on the Instant Pot melt half of the butter, then mince the onion and add it to the pot.
- Cook for 5 minutes until browned.
- Grate the garlic and ginger, then add them to the pot with the salt and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, heavy cream and chicken to the pot.
- Close the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes before releasing manually.
- Remove the lid and turn the Instant Pot to sautee, simmer for 8 minutes.
Basmati Rice
- While you are making the butter chicken start your rice.
- Rinse the rice until the water strains through clear.
- Add the rice to the broth in a sauce pot with the cloves and cardamom.
- Bring to a boil on high, then immediately turn it down to a simmer and cover.
- Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- Leave covered for an additional 10 minutes before removing the lid.
Roasted Cauliflower
- Preheat the oven to 425 F when you start to make the butter chicken.
- Cut the cauliflower into florets by flipping it upside down and cutting into the stem at a 45 degree angle then break off the florets.
- Mix the cauliflower florets with the oil, lime juice, and salt in a baking dish.
- Roast for 45 minutes until the cauliflower is golden brown.
This dinner has so much flavor with the sauce and roasted cauliflower. I love that it is made in the Instant Pot so it makes the chicken very tender.
Oh I love butter chicken so much. One of my all time favorite dishes. I love that you can make it so easily in the Instant Pot- amazing!
Thank you so much for this perfect instant pot butter chicken with cauliflower! It taste really amazing and very easy to make! Loved it and will make it again!
I love making dinner in the instant pot, and butter chicken is one of my favourite foods so this is right up my alley! Thank you so much for the recipe, bookmarked to make this weekend!
I love chicken recipes a lot and this sounds like one I would really like. I’ve printed the recipe and will be trying it in the next few days. My whole family loves chicken. Thanks for sharing!
This looks absolutely delicious! SO moist, tender and flavorful . I love butter chicken and can’t wait to try this recipe.
I loooove butter chicken! But have never tried it at home! But with your step by step photos I know I can do it…thank you can’t wait to try!
I love butter chicken and the many lovely variations in recipes I’ve found. I look forward to trying this one, especially because a marinade is always magical. And such a simple, yet flavorful, seasoning for the cauliflower!
I love butter chicken and yours looks fabulous. I don’t have an instant pot so will cook it on the stove top. I know it takes longer but I’m sure it’ll be worth it!
I’m not a chicken person, but since my family loves chicken, I appreciate finding recipes like this one. Everybody was happy, including me, with all the accolades I got. Thank you very much for sharing this!