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4.9 from 1,662 votes

Mom's Chicken Curry - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

Mom’s authentic Chicken Curry made in a simple onion-tomato gravy with the aroma of whole spices.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 268 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken boneless, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoon ghee or oil
  • 1 green chili pepper small, chopped (optional)
  • 1 inch ginger finely chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 onion medium sized, finely chopped
  • 2 tomato medium sized, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup cilantro to garnish
Whole Spices
  • 1 Black Cardamom (Moti Elaichi)
  • 2 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
  • 6 cloves (Laung)
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
Spices
  • 2 teaspoon Coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cut the boneless chicken into small pieces, about 1-2 inch in size.
  2. Heat the instant pot in Sauté mode and add oil to it. Add the whole spices and sauté for 30 seconds to get the aroma.
  3. Add the chopped green chili, onions, ginger and garlic to the pot and sauté for 4 minutes until they turn golden brown. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes and spices. Sauté for another 4 minutes, while stirring at regular intervals.
  5. Add the chicken and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Do not skip this step, as it adds lots of flavor to the curry.
  6. Then add the water and stir it with the chicken. Deglaze and scrape off anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. 
  7. Change the instant pot setting to manual/pressure cook mode on high for 5 minutes.
  8. When the instant pot beeps, quick release the pressure manually. Stir in the lemon juice.
  9. Garnish with cilantro and chicken curry is ready to serve.

Notes

  • Whole Spices: If you want to simplify this recipe, skip the whole spices in this recipe.
  • Chicken: If using bigger pieces of chicken or bone-in chicken, increase the pressure cooking time to 7 minutes. I used chicken breasts when making this curry, but chicken thighs work great and are juicier. 
  • Green Chili Pepper: I typically use Thai or Birdeye Chili Pepper for this recipes. Don't forget to adjust to your taste. 
  • Adjust Spice: To make this less spicy, you can skip the green chili. Also adjust the red chili powder to taste. You can use paprika if you dont have Kashmiri Red Chili powder. 
  • Thickness of the final curry: This is a homestyle indian chicken curry, which is typically not a thick sauce as you always get in restaurants. If you want to thicken the curry, you can add cashew paste, cashew butter, coconut milk, or heavy cream. 
  • Created: This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Programmable Pressure Cooker.

Nutrition Information

Calories 268kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 8g (3%) Protein 25g (50%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Cholesterol 101mg (34%) Sodium 765mg (32%) Potassium 633mg (18%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 730IU (15%) Vitamin C 17.7mg (20%) Calcium 29mg (3%) Iron 1.2mg (7%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 268

% Daily Value*

Calories 268kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 8g 3%
Protein 25g 50%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 101mg 34%
Sodium 765mg 32%
Potassium 633mg 13%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 730IU 15%
Vitamin C 17.7mg 20%
Calcium 29mg 3%
Iron 1.2mg 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.