The Broke Baker

Category: Main Dishes

  • Pressure Cooker Chili

    Pressure Cooker Chili

    Skip to Recipe

    After searching online for a chili recipe for my Instant Pot, I was disappointed to find that most of them used canned beans. So, I decided to come up with my own recipe for chili. Everyone that has tasted it so far has loved it, so hopefully you will too.

    The first thing you need to do is par-cook your beans. I used small red beans. You can use red kidney beans if you prefer, but I like these better.

    The goal is to cook the beans about 3/4 of the way through. This way, they can finish cooking once the chili is fully prepared. For these beans, I cooked them for about 20 minutes with a 15 minute Natural Release.

    Preparing the beans can be done a day in advance. Just store the beans in the refrigerator until you’re ready to prepare your chili.

    Once you’re ready to begin making the chili, get all of your ingredients together. This will help the process go much faster.

    Brown your ground beef in 1 tbsp of oil on the Saute setting of the pressure cooker. When the meat is browned, add the onions and cook until soft. Then, add the garlic and diced jalapenos. Cook for an additional minute or so, until fragrant. Then, add the spices and beef bouillon.

    Add the beer and use your spoon to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the diced tomato and tomato sauce. Lastly, add the par-cooked beans. Cover the pressure cooker, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Once the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 15 minutes before you release any remaining pressure. Give the chili a stir, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

    Let the chili rest at least 20 minutes before serving. I prefer making it a day in advance to let the flavors REALLY meld, but I understand that not all of us are that patient.

    Pressure Cooker Chili

    Ingredients

    • 1lb dry red beans
    • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 2 lbs lean ground beef
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 jalapeno peppers, diced
    • 2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles
    • 3 8oz cans of tomato sauce
    • 1 12oz bottle of beer
    • 2 tbsp chili powder
    • 1 tbsp cumin powder
    • 2 tsp oregano
    • 2 tsp smoked paprika
    • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 2 small beef bouillon cubes (or 1 large)
    • 1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
    • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

    Directions

    Add the beans to the liner of your electric pressure cooker with 4 cups of water. Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 20-25 minutes. When the timer completes, allow the pressure to release for 15 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure. Drain the beans and set aside.

    Preheat the liner of your pressure cooker on the Saute/Browning setting. When the liner is hot, add the oil and ground beef and cook until no more pink is visible. Add the diced onion and cook until soft. Add the minced garlic and diced jalapeno. Cook until the garlic is fragrant.

    Add all of the spices, stirring until the meat mixture is evenly coated in the seasonings. Add the beer and scrape up any browned bits that stuck to the bottom of the liner. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, then stir in the beans.

    Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. When the timer completes, allow the pressure to release naturally for an additional 15 minutes before you release any remaining pressure. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

    Allow to rest at least 20 minutes before serving, then serve with your choice of toppings.

  • Pressure Cooker Creamy Chicken Soup

    Pressure Cooker Creamy Chicken Soup

    I’m at that age where your doctor starts telling you that you’re going to kill yourself if you don’t start treating your body better. So, I’ve been trying to stick to low carb, high protein meals lately. There are some hits and some misses, but overall I am enjoying everything that I am eating, like this creamy chicken soup.

    Although it’s not as thick and creamy as a roux-based soup, it is actually really delicious. You can probably thicken it with xantham gum if you are so inclined. If you don’t care about the carbs, then roux away!

    Pressure Cooker Creamy Chicken Soup

    (Adapted from this recipe)

    Ingredients

    • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
    • 5oz sliced shitake mushrooms
    • 2 cloves of garlic
    • 6 slices of thick cut bacon
    • 4oz celery, chopped
    • 1/3 cup white cooking wine (or use water)
    • 4oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream
    • 3 cups chicken stock
    • 1/2 tbsp dried parsley
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Directions

    Set the liner of your electric pressure cooker to the Saute/Browning setting. When it’s hot, add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove from the pressure cooker, crumble, and set aside.

    Drain all but 1 tbsp of bacon grease from the pressure cooker liner. Add the garlic and saute until it starts to turn brown. Add the celery and mushrooms and cook until they start to soften. Add the wine (or water) and cook until the most of the liquid has evaporated, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

    Add the chicken breast, chicken stock, and parsley. Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes. When the timer is up, allow the pressure to release naturally.

    Uncover the pot and add the cream cheese and the heavy cream. Stir until the cream cheese has all melted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then stir in the crumbled bacon. Serve hot.

    Makes 6 servings

  • Pressure Cooker Cheeseburger Mac

    Pressure Cooker Cheeseburger Mac

    Sometimes, it’s the simple things that give us happiness.  Like cheeseburger mac.  My mom used to make it for us when we were kids.  She used boxed mac and cheese (the kind with the liquid cheese packet).  Now that I’m an adult, I figured I should elevate it a little bit.  That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t need to be easy to make, though!  Making it in my Instant Pot takes care of that part.

    This recipe is best eaten as soon as it is made, but leftovers can be reheated if needed.  Just microwave in 30-second intervals with a little bit of milk until it’s creamy again.

    Pressure Cooker Cheeseburger Mac

    Ingredients

    • 1 tbsp oil (use a high heat oil)
    • 1 1/2lbs (24oz) lean ground beef
    • 1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 tsp onion powder
    • 1 tsp ground black pepper
    • 1/4 tsp mustard powder
    • 1/2 tsp chili powder
    • 1lb dried macaroni noodles (I used cavatappi, but you can also use elbow noodles)
    • 4 cups low sodium beef broth or water
    • 3 tbsp butter
    • 1/2 cup half-and-half (you can also use milk or heavy cream)
    • 4oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
    • 8oz shredded colby jack cheese
    • 8oz shredded cheddar cheese (I used white cheddar)

    Directions

    Heat the oil in the liner of your pressure cooker in the Saute/Browning setting.

    When it is hot, add the ground beef.  Cook, breaking up the pieces, until no longer pink.  Stir in the seasonings, then turn off the pressure cooker.

    Place the dried noodles over the ground beef, then pour in the broth or water.  Top with butter.

    Cover, seal, and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 4 minutes.  When the timer is up, leave the pressure cooker on Keep Warm and release the pressure manually.

    Add the cubed cream cheese and stir until melted.  Add the half-and-half, then gradually add the cheese, a little bit at a time, until completely melted and creamy.  Serve hot.

  • Pressure Cooker Tonkotsu Ramen Broth

    Pressure Cooker Tonkotsu Ramen Broth

    Skip to Recipe

    My favorite ramen place is a 45 minute drive from my house. On top of that, their bowls of tonkotsu ramen about about $30.00 nowadays. When I found out that someone had figured out how to make it in their pressure cooker, I was skeptical at first. But, I decided to give it a try, and it worked out great!

    Tonkotsu ramen broth in an electric pressure cooker is not significantly less labor-intensive. You still need to boil and clean your bones before you start the broth. This helps to remove the marrow and impurities that will alter the color of your finished broth. It does cut down on the total cook time significantly, though. Plus, no babysitting a boiling pot for an entire day.

    Traditional tonkotsu ramen broth is cooked for up to 18 hours, which is what gives the broth its signature “creaminess.” The fat and collagen in the bones breaks down and emulsifies in the broth. The pressure cooker doesn’t produce the rolling boil required to emulsify the broth. So, for using a pressure cooker, you need to add your own emulsifier after the broth is finished. I have also read that you can move the broth to the stove after pressure cooking and boil for about an hour to emulsify, but I have never tried this.

    If you REALLY want to go all-out with your tonkotsu ramen, you can also make chashu pork (braised pork belly) to top it with. You can add some of the leftover braising liquid to your ramen broth for flavoring.

    Once your broth is cooked, you can season it and pour over your cooked ramen noodles and serve with your choice of toppings. In addition to the base broth recipe, there are also recommendations for seasoning your broth and for toppings to serve the ramen with. Just play around with the ingredients and quantities until it tastes to your liking.

    You can refrigerate tonkotsu broth for up to a week, or freeze for a few months. The broth will separate when chilled, so be sure to bring it back to a boil when you reheat it to emulsify it again.

    Pressure Cooker Tonkotsu Ramen Broth

    Adapted from Pressure Eats Recipe

    **NOTE: I used an 8qt Instant Pot to make this quantity of broth, and it was a very tight squeeze. If you will be using a smaller pressure cooker, I recommend cutting the recipe in half.

    Ingredients

    For the broth

    • 3lbs pork hocks, cut into discs
    • 2bs chicken backs
    • 2 whole leeks, washed and roughly chopped
    • 1 3in piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
    • 12 cloves of garlic
    • 1 large onion
    • 6 dried shitake mushrooms (you can also use fresh)
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 slab pork fatback
    • 1/2 egg yolk or 2 tsp soy lecithin (I used a whole egg yolk with no issues)
    • Additional recommended equipment: an immersion blender

    For seasoning the broth (per 3 cups of broth)

    • 1 tbsp tahini
    • 2 cloves grated garlic
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 tbsp mirin
    • 1 tbsp chashu braising liquid
    • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
    • a dash of fish sauce

    To serve

    • Cooked ramen noodles
    • Chopped scallions
    • Sliced chashu pork (I used this recipe)
    • Sliced mushrooms
    • Seaweed
    • Hard boiled or soya egg

    Directions

    Add the pork hocks and chicken backs to a large pot. Fill pot with water until the bones are fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.

    Drain the water from the pot and add fresh water. Place the pot, uncovered, on a stove and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and drain. Allow bones to cool for about 15 minutes, then rinse and clean with cold water.

    Optional step: Char the onions and garlic by placing them on a sheet pan and broiling them until some black spots appear (this took about 5 or 10 minutes for me)

    Add the cleaned bones to the liner of your pressure cooker. Add the leeks, onions, ginger, garlic, mushrooms, and salt. Add enough water to reach about 3/4 of the way up the pot. Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 3 hours.

    When the time is up, release the pressure manually. Uncover, add the slab of fatback, then cover and seal again. Cook on High Pressure for 1 hour. At this point, you can release the pressure manually or naturally. I have done it both ways and both have been fine.

    Drain the broth to remove the solids. Add the soy lecithin or egg yolk (temper the yolk first with broth if using), using the immersion blender to blend completely. Broth should become translucent.

    Season broth to taste with seasonings of choice, then pour over cooked ramen noodles. Serve with your choice of toppings.

  • Thai Red Chicken Curry

    Thai Red Chicken Curry

    Thai food is one of those things that I THOUGHT that I dislike, until friends started dragging me to Thai restaurants with them.  This was before I figured out that I don’t hate coconut milk when it’s in curry form, but Thai food eventually grew on me.  Now that I’m back on a diet and watching my carb intake, one of my go-to entrees is this Thai Red Chicken Curry.  It’s not insanely high in fat or carbs, so you can probably fit it into most meal plans.

    After posting a picture of my weekly meal prep, I got a lot of requests for the recipe for the Thai Red Chicken Curry.  So, happy to oblige!  Though, since I wasn’t expecting to post this, there are no pictures of the step-by-step process.

    This recipe is actually pretty flexible.  You can increase or reduce ingredients to suit your tastes without much of a fuss.  If you want to add vegetables to it, I recommend cooking them separately and then adding them at the end.  In previous experiences, the addition of vegetables made my sauce too watery.

    If carbs are not your enemy, then feel free to serve this with a side of white rice.  Yum!

    Thai Red Chicken Curry

    Ingredients

    • 1 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken (I used breast, but you can also use thighs), cubed
    • 1 tbsp oil
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 2 tbsp minced ginger (add more or less to taste)
    • 2 tbsp red curry paste (I used this one)
    • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
    • 4 oz onion, chopped
    • 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
    • 1/2 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Directions

    Season chicken with salt and pepper and set aside.

    Head oil in a medium to large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until they start to turn translucent.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant.  Add the red curry paste.

    Add the chicken pieces, stirring to coat all sides with the seasoning mixture in the pan.  Add the coconut milk, stirring until the seasoning has dissolved in the liquid.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer.

    Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce is the desired thickness.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed before serving.

    Makes 4 servings.

  • Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

    Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

    Skip to Recipe
    Meatloaf is not really a big thing in Hispanic households.  Growing up, my exposure to meatloaf was mainly through frozen dinners or from visiting American friends’ houses.  In fact, here I am at the ripe old age of 37 and had NEVER even made a meatloaf before.  But, because I’m me, I couldn’t settle for just any meatloaf.  It had to be buffalo chicken meatloaf.  This is a great recipe for when you’re trying to eat low-carb, because there is no flour or breadcrumbs in the meatloaf mixture.  And, you get all of the delicious flavors of buffalo wings without the guilt.

    I got the idea while I was following a low carb diet and came across a recipe for buffalo chicken meatballs.  I tweaked a few things on that recipe, but I still found it a little tedious to try to form that wet, sticky mixture into balls.  The most obvious solution to me was to make it as a meatloaf instead.  Less work, and less mess.  I can dig it.

    There are not a whole lot of ingredients, so this recipe is pretty straightforward.  Combine all of your ingredients in a bowl.  It mixes best for me when I use my hands (I wear gloves to keep my hands clean for this).  When everything is good and mixed, gently pat the mixture down into your meatloaf pan.  If you’re using a pan with a perforated bottom, make don’t press it down too hard or you might push the mixture down through the holes.

    After that, bake it until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees.  That took about an hour and 10 minutes for me, but start checking the meatloaf after an hour.  You don’t want it to dry out.

    After the meatloaf is done, let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before you take it out.  Since there are no breadcrumbs in this meatloaf, it will crumble easily when you slice it if you’re not careful.

    I like to serve it drizzled with some additional buffalo sauce.  Add a steamed vegetable as a side, and you’ve got a healthy and delicious meal!

    You can use

    Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

    Ingredients

    • 2-2 1/2 lbs ground chicken (or ground turkey)
    • 4 oz finely diced onion
    • 4oz crumbled blue cheese
    • 3/4 cup hot sauce or buffalo sauce (can be homemade or store-bought)
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2 eggs
    • Recommended materials: meatloaf pan (I used this one)

    Directions

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients.  Gently pat down into your meatloaf pan.  Bake until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 165 degrees (about 60-70 minutes).

    Allow meatloaf to cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.  Slice and serve drizzled with extra hot sauce, if desired.

     

  • Pressure Cooker Turkey Meatball and Spinach Soup

    Pressure Cooker Turkey Meatball and Spinach Soup

    Skip to Recipe
    After I learned how to make turkey stock using my Instant Pot, I was thrilled.  At the time, though, I had no idea what to do with my newfound stash of turkey stock.  I came across a turkey soup recipe that caught my eye.  I had been low-carbing it for a while, and it seemed easy enough to adjust to cut out some of those pesky carbs.  That’s how this turkey meatball and spinach soup came to be.

    Truth be told, I never did learn how to make anything else with my homemade turkey stock.  Anytime I get my hands on some, I wind up making more turkey meatball and spinach soup.  And, it’s super easy to make!  The hardest part is forming the meatballs.

    Mix your meatball ingredients together, either by hand or using a wooden spoon.  Once everything is combined, form your meatballs.  I used a cooker scooper to scoop the meat mixture and get them to be close to the same size.

    Brown the meatballs on both sides using butter or ghee in the liner of your electric pressure cooker.  You will have to do this in batches.  Once they are all brown, set them aside.  Sometimes, I saute a little bit of onions and garlic after this part, but this is entirely optional.  The soup still tastes good without them.

    Add about 1 cup of the turkey stock and stir it around to loosen the browned bits at the bottom of the liner.  Add the rest of the turkey stock, along with the meatballs.  Cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 10 minutes, then manually release the pressure.  Stir in the mushrooms and let them sit for about 5 minutes or until they’re cooked.  Your soup should still be plenty hot enough to cook them.  After they’re cooked, stir in the spinach until it’s wilted.

    Your turkey meatball and spinach soup is now ready to serve.

    This turkey meatball and spinach soup is great for so many reasons.  It is low in carbs, so it’s great for people watching their carb intake (or who just want something lighter after a Thanksgiving binge).  It freezes wonderfully, so you can make a big batch and save some for a rainy day.  And, it tastes almost too good to be good for you.  I call that a win!

    Pressure Cooker Turkey Meatball and Spinach Soup

    Adapted from recipe at Savory Lotus

    Ingredients

    For the meatballs

    • 2lbs ground turkey
    • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
    • 2 eggs
    • 4 gloves garlic, crushed
    • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp black pepper

    For the soup

    • 3 quarts turkey stock (you can also use chicken or vegetable stock)
    • 10 oz spinach leaves
    • 16oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
    • 2 tbsp butter or ghee
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 1/2 cup diced onion (optional)
    • 2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)

    Directions

    In a medium bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients.  Form the mixture into balls, approximately 1in each.

    Preheat your pressure cooker on the Saute/Browning setting.  When hot, add 1tbsp of butter or ghee and brown the meatballs on both sides, working in batches and adding more butter/ghee as needed.  When the meatballs are browned, set them aside.

    Quickly saute the onions and garlic (if using) until fragrant, then add 1 cup of turkey stock.  Stir to loosen the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the liner.  Add the remaining turkey stuck.

    Return the meatballs to the pot. Cover, seal, and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 10 minutes.  When the timer is up, manually release the pressure.

    Stir in the sliced mushrooms and let sit for about 5 minutes.  The soup should be hot enough to cook the mushrooms through.  Stir in the spinach until wilted.

    Makes 6-8 servings

  • Pressure Cooker Turkey Stock

    Pressure Cooker Turkey Stock

    Once upon a time, before the magic of pressure cookers, my turkey carcasses went in the trash after the turkey was carved.  Seeing the craze with making “bone broth” and stocks at home, though, I decided to give it a go.  After my first batch of turkey stock, I vowed never to let a turkey carcass go to waste again.  The canned and boxed stuff just doesn’t compare.

    If you plan on using it within a few days, you can store your turkey stock in the refrigerator.  Otherwise, you can freeze it in any freezer-safe container.  I have kept containers of turkey stock in my deep freezer for around 3 months and it’s still good.

    Pressure Cooker Turkey Stock

    Ingredients

    • 1 cooked turkey carcass (from a 12lb turkey or larger)
    • 1 large onion, quartered
    • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
    • 3 celery stalks, cut into large chunks
    • 4 cloves of garlic
    • 1 in piece of ginger, sliced into rounds
    • 3 bay leaves
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 8 cups of water

    Directions

    Combine all of the ingredients in the liner of your electric pressure cooker (you may have to cut up the carcass to make it fit).  Cover, seal, and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 30 minutes.  When the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally.  Strain the turkey stock to remove the solids before using.

    Store unused turkey stock in the refrigerator, or freeze for up to 3 months.

     

  • Ethiopian-Spiced Lentil and Chicken Soup

    Ethiopian-Spiced Lentil and Chicken Soup

    Skip to Recipe
    I have had heard from many friends and acquaintances about the magic that is Ethiopian food.  It has always been on my list of cuisines to try, but it actually had never really happened yet.  When I got my Instant Pot about 2 years ago, one of the first things that I made in it was this Ethiopian-Style Spinach and Lentil Stew that I came across online.  It quickly became a favorite of mine.  Still, I didn’t really awaken to the wonders of Ethiopian food until a recent visit to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.  There, I had an Ethiopian-style beef dish and a lentil stew that blew me away.

    I knew that I wanted to recreate those flavors at home.  After some digging around, I found what seemed like the two main components that I would need.  The first thing is niter kibbeh.  Niter kibbeh is basically clarified butter that has been infused with herbs and spices.  The flavor of this aromatic butter lays the foundation for the flavors to build on in most Ethiopian cuisine.  The second component is berbere.  Berbere is a spicy all-purpose seasoning blend that is used in several Ethiopian dishes.  Think of berbere as the Goya Adobo or the Lawry’s Season-All of Ethiopian cooking.  Most commercial Berbere blends are incredibly spicy, but the heat can be adjusted if you make your own.

    I took a stab at adjusting the lentil soup recipe to include the newfound niter kibbeh and berbere, and am very happy with the results.  I also added chicken, because extra protein never hurt anyone.

    You can easily leave out the chicken and make this a vegetarian dish if you prefer.

    If you are using store-bought berbere seasoning, I suggest starting with a smaller quantity and adjusting the seasoning to your liking.  My berbere is fairly mild and I used 2 tbsp, but that might be too much for hotter ones.

    I strongly suggest that you use niter kibbeh for this dish, but if you don’t want to go through the trouble then you can use ghee or olive oil in place of it.  It will still taste good!

    Pressure Cooker Ethiopian-Spiced Lentil and Chicken Soup

    (Adapted from this recipe)

    Ingredients

    • 2 tbsp niter kibbeh (you can make your own using this recipe)
    • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
    • 1/2 tbsp minced ginger
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1-2 tbsp berbere seasoning
    • 2 cups dry brown lentils
    • 2 lbs skinless chicken thighs (leave them out if you want to make this vegetarian)
    • 8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you prefer)
    • 6 oz baby spinach
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • Lemon wedges for serving

    Directions

    Set the pressure cooker to the Saute/Browning setting

    When the cooker reads Hot, add the niter kibbeh and the onions.  Cook until the onions start to soften, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook until fragrant (about 1-2 mins).  Add the berbere seasoning and stir to coat. Add the chicken or vegetable stock.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

    Add the lentils and chicken.  Turn off the pressure cooker.  Cover, seal, and cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 20 minutes.  Allow the pressure to release naturally for another 10-15 minutes until releasing the remaining pressure.

    Uncover, then taste and adjust seasonings again if you need to.  Stir in the spinach until wilted, then serve with lemon wedges.

  • Pressure Cooker Mango Chicken Curry

    Pressure Cooker Mango Chicken Curry

    Skip to Recipe
    Every now and then, an Instant Pot owner gets asked, “Why convert a tried and true oven/stovetop recipe to the IP?”  Sometimes, the answer is to save time.  Other times, the answer is to wash fewer dishes.  And, a lot of times, the answer is something a little unexpected: “Because I can.”  That is how I wound up with this mango chicken curry.

    I stumbled across a recipe for mango chicken curry a year or two ago during Mango Madness.  I think that it was one of my very first ventures into using mangoes in savory dishes.  It was an instant hit with my friends, and gets requested a lot.  The original recipe called for stovetop preparation.  I wanted to try to convert it to an IP recipe.  The challenge with that, of course, is that pressure cooking often leaves things a bit watery.  I got around that by using coconut cream instead of coconut milk, then reducing the sauce a bit at the end.

    Prep your ingredients first.  This will make things much easier when you get started.

    Heat the oil in your electric pressure cooker set to the Saute/Browning setting.  When the cooker reads Hot, add your dry spices and stir to coat them in oil.  Do this quickly or your spices can burn.  Add the chopped onions and peppers next, stirring to coat them in the spice and oil mixture.  Saute for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and ginger and keep sauteeing for another 2 minutes.  Add the mango, then stir to combine.  Stir in the vinegar and the water, then season with salt and pepper.

    As a little side interlude, having two instant pots is GREAT for situations like this.  Your curry can cook in one pot while your rice cooks in the other.

    Place your chicken thighs over your mixture.  Cover and seal your pressure cooker, then cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 15 minutes.  You can also use the Poultry setting to get the same result.  When the time is up, release the pressure manually.  Uncover and remove the chicken from the pot.  Chop or shred the chicken and set it aside.  Stir the coconut cream into the liquid remaining in the pot.  Using an immersion blender, puree the cooked vegetables and fruit.  Set the pressure cooker back to the Saute setting and let the sauce come to a simmer.  Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes, or until it thickens.  Add the chicken back to the sauce and give it another stir.  Check your seasonings and add more salt and pepper if needed.

    In my house, we like our curry served with a side of white rice.  I bet it would also be great with some warm, buttery naan bread.  Is your mouth watering yet?

    If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also puree your sauce in a conventional blender.  Just return it to the pot to reduce after you’re finished blending it.

    Pressure Cooker Mango Chicken Curry

    Ingredients

    • 3lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
    • 3-4 cups fresh mango slices
    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
    • 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
    • 4 tbsp minced ginger
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 4 tbsp yellow curry powder
    • 1 tsp ground cumin
    • 1/2 tbsp garam masala
    • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
    • 1/4 cup water
    • 1 13.5oz can of coconut cream
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Directions

    Heat the oil in the liner of your pressure cooker using the Saute/Browning setting.

    When the cooker reads Hot, add the spices and stir to coat with oil.  Add the chopped onions and peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes until just beginning to soften.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.  Stir in the mango slices, and then the water and the vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.

    Lay the chicken on top of the vegetable/mango mixture.  Cover, seal, then cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 15 minutes.  When the timer runs out, release the remaining pressure manually.  Remove the chicken from the pot.  Chop or shred it and set it aside.

    Stir the coconut cream into the liquid remaining in the pot.  Puree the vegetables and fruit using an immersion blender.  Turn the cooker back to the Saute/Browning setting and allow the sauce to come to a simmer.  Cook the sauce until it thickens, about 5-10 minutes.  Serve hot.