Instant Pot chicken vindaloo
Goa’s tangy, fiery curry of chicken in vinegar, garlic and warm spices, pressure-cooked in minutes and even better the next day.
- 55 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.51 a serving
- 400 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 yellow onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 naan, warmed (optional)
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp paprika
- ¾ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ cup water
Each serving has about 400 calories, 47 g protein, 14 g carbs and 17 g fat, and costs about $2.51 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the vinegar, garlic, ginger, paprika, cayenne, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, salt and brown sugar into a paste. the chicken in it, cover, and in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Marinate. Marinating means letting food sit in a flavorful liquid, called a marinade, before you cook it. Always marinate in the fridge, and never reuse marinade from raw meat unless you boil it first.
How you’ll know: The food is coated all over, sealed in a bag or covered dish, and chilling in the fridge.
Timer: 15 min
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Set the Instant Pot to , heat the oil, and cook the onions 8 to 10 minutes, , until deep .
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Medium-high heatTimer: 9 min
Dolly’s tip: Take your time here. Well-browned onions are the backbone of the sauce.in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then pour in the water and scrape the bottom until it’s completely smooth.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Medium-high heatTimer: 1 min
Dolly’s tip: Any stuck bits will trigger the burn warning, so scrape well.Add the chicken and all its , , lock the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on HIGH for 8 minutes.
Marinate. Marinating means letting food sit in a flavorful liquid, called a marinade, before you cook it. Always marinate in the fridge, and never reuse marinade from raw meat unless you boil it first.
How you’ll know: The food is coated all over, sealed in a bag or covered dish, and chilling in the fridge.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Timer: 8 min
Let the pressure come down on its own for 10 minutes, then turn the valve to venting to let out the rest.
Timer: 10 min
Dolly’s tip: Keep your hand and face away from the valve. Nudge it with a wooden spoon.Open the lid and check that the biggest piece of chicken reads 165°F.
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
If the sauce is thin, set it to and 5 minutes, , until it .
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Medium-high heatTimer: 5 min
Scatter the cilantro over and serve with warm naan.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
