I have yet to meet anyone who does not like butter chicken. The beauty of butter chicken lies in the subtle balance of tanginess and a velvety texture. It is a luscious curry that is not too spicy!  The recipe I am sharing here is a quick and an easy recipe that can be made on a weeknight in an Instant Pot. It is a shortcut recipe, but I promise you that there is no refrain or holding back in the taste. This recipe is indeed what contentment in a bowl is like.

Total time – 1 hour

Active time – 20 mins

Yields – 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon  ghee
• 1 cup diced yellow onion  
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika/ Kashmiri mirch
• ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder/kitchen king
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 3/4 salt
• ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1(6 oz) can tomato paste
• 2-pound chicken thighs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• ¾ cup coconut cream or heavy cream
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt 
• Chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add the ghee to the Instant Pot and set to SAUTE.
2. Once hot, add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and the dry spices. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn the Instant Pot to Off.
3. Add the chicken broth and stir and scrape any browned bits that have stuck.
4. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Lay the chicken pieces on top and dot the butter pieces top of the chicken.
5. Close and seal Instant Pot. Cook on Manual (HIGH) pressure for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, let the pressure release naturally.
6. Unlock the lid and set the chicken pieces aside. If you prefer you can cut the chicken to bite size.
7. Stir in the coconut milk/heavy cream. Let cool a few minutes, then stir in the Greek yogurt (do not stir it in immediately or it will curdle).
8. Add the chicken pieces and cilantro into the sauce and stir well.
9. This is best served with basmati rice.

If you wish to make the recipe dairy free you can use coconut oil instead of ghee and use nondairy yogurt in place of Greek yogurt. Kashmiri mirch and Kitchen king are spices you get at the Indian grocery store.