Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry

Optional Flavor Enhancing Steps

1. Prepare Pressure Cooker: Heat up your pressure cooker over medium high heat (Instant Pot: press Sauté button, then Adjust button to go to Sauté More function). Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be (Instant Pot: wait until the indicator says HOT).
2. Brown Chicken Pieces: Lightly season the skin side of chicken thighs or drumsticks with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add 1 tbsp (15ml) peanut oil in pressure cooker. Ensure to coat the oil over whole bottom of the pot. Carefully place the chicken thighs skin side down (or drumsticks) in pressure cooker. Lightly season the other side with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brown for 3.5 - 4 mins on each side without flipping. Remove and set aside in a large mixing bowl.
3. Saute Onions & Garlic: Add onion slices in pressure cooker and saute until soften (~ 2 minutes). Add in minced garlic and ginger, then saute until fragrant (~30 seconds).
4. Add Water to Deglaze: Pour in ½ cup (125ml) cold water and completely deglaze the pot by scrubbing all flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon.

Make Chicken Curry

1. Pressure Cook Chicken: Place chicken and the flavorful meat juice in the pressure cooker. Add in 1 tbsp (15ml) Worcestershire sauce & 1 tbsp (15ml) Japanese soy sauce. Layer carrot chunks & half of the potato chunks on top. Place the remaining potato chunks in an oven-safe bowl (to avoid them from going mushy), then layer it on top of the carrots.Close lid and pressure cook at High Pressure:-Chicken Thighs: 5 Minutes + 10 Minutes Natural Release-Chicken Drumsticks: 6 Minutes + 10 Minutes Natural Release-Chicken Cubes: 2 Minutes + 10 Minutes Natural ReleaseAfter the pressure cooker finished cooking, wait 10 minutes then carefully release the remaining pressure. Turn off the heat. Open the lid carefully.
2. Create Japanese Curry: Remove and set aside the oven-safe bowl with potato chunks and chicken. Press Cancel button, then Sauté button to heat up the sauce. Stir-in Japanese curry roux one cube at a time to thicken the sauce. Taste the sauce after each curry roux has melted, then determine if more cubes are necessary. For reference, we used 4 - 6 cubes in our tests. Place chicken and potato chunks back in the sauce.
3. Serve: Serve immediately with Calrose rice or short grain sushi rice.