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Indian Butter Chicken in the Instant Pot

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Also known as Murgh Makhani, Indian Butter Chicken sounded like a dish I wanted to try. I mean, you had me at “butter!”

Making this dish at home is a fantastic culinary experience, because the smells of all the different spices take you and your family to a place far away–a market in India, where all the spices are on display for the senses to enjoy!

Tools you may need for this recipe are:

Steamer Basket for Pot-in-Pot Rice

Immersion Blender

Coffee grinder/spice grinder

Vitamix Blender

Instant Pot Duo 6-quart

Instant Pot Duo EVO

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Indian Butter Chicken in the Instant Pot

Rich, creamy spice takes the entire family to exotic places!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Pressure Cooking Time10 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Dinner, Gluten-free, Instant Pot, Made from Scratch, Real Food, Restaurant Food at Home
Servings: 8
Calories: 579kcal
Author: Holly
Cost: $10

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • Blender
  • Immersion Blender (optional)
  • Inner Pot

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 28 ounces diced tomatoes
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 3 tablespoons fresh ginger
  • 1 jalapeño, diced optional, to taste
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala see recipe for homemade version
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder optional, depending on your spice level
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt

Add after pressure cooking

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup butter (1 stick)
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro

Basmati Rice

  • 2 cups basmati rice or any kind of white rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon butter

Garam Masala

  • 2 teaspoons cardamom seeds not pods
  • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • ½ teaspoon whole cloves
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cinnamon stick broken in half
  • 2 bay leaves dried
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

  • Place chicken in pressure cooker insert. Frozen is fine.
  • Pour diced tomatoes over chicken. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeño (if using), and spices. Stir spices gently into tomatoes.
  • If making Pot-in-Pot rice, place rice pot on top of food at this point. See Instructions below.
  • Place lid on Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker.
  • Check Steam Release Valve to make sure it is set to [Sealing].
  • Choose [Pressure Cook] or [Manual] or [Poultry] program by pressing one of these buttons.
  • Set pressure level to [High] pressure if using chicken thighs, [Low] pressure for chicken breasts.
  • Adjust pressure cooking time to 10 minutes by pressing [+] or [-].
  • Depending on your pressure model, either press [Start] (Ultra, EVO, Max) or simply pause and wait for the Instant Pot to begin cooking (DUO, Lux).

After Pressure Cooking

  • Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before manually releasing remaining pressure and removing lid.
  • If you made pot-in-pot rice, carefully remove the rice pot and set it on a plate, hot pad, or trivet.
  • Remove cooked chicken pieces with tongs and place on a plate or cutting board.
  • Stir together sauce ingredients and blend, either in the pot with an immersion blender or in a regular blender. Be careful, this mixture is HOT. Pour mixture back into pot.
  • Add cream and stir to incorporate well. Add butter and stir again.
  • Place chicken on a cutting board and dice into bite-sized pieces.
  • Place chicken pieces back into pot with sauce and stir well. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve over rice or sauteéd veggies for a delightful dinner!

Pot-in-Pot Rice

  • Add rice, water, salt, and butter to a pot or bowl that fits inside the pressure cooker.
  • Use a trivet or sling under inner pot so you can pull the piping hot bowl out when it is done cooking.
  • Place inner pot over chicken and tomato mixture. May be placed directly on food or on a trivet on top of the food.
  • Proceed with pressure cooking instructions above.

Garam Masala

  • Place all spice ingredients in a blender or spice grinder. Pulse and blend well until all pieces are ground thoroughly. Allow dust to settle inside blender before opening the lid and smelling the wonder inside!

Nutrition

Calories: 579kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 1088mg | Potassium: 797mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1317IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 5mg

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No-Chop Spaghetti Squash in the Instant Pot

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Cutting up hard winter squash to roast is my nemesis! In the Instant Pot, you can cook it whole, with ease!

Spaghetti Squash is fabulous as a side dish on its own, but because it has a neutral flavor, you can serve it with tons of different toppings and flavors!

We love it plain, with butter, salt, and pepper, or topped with our Texas Chili or Spaghetti Sauce.

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No-Chop Spaghetti Squash in the Instant Pot

Use this shortcut way to cook delicious Spaghetti Squash in your electric pressure cooker.
Prep Time1 minute
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time21 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword: Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Keto, Low Carb, Paleo, THM-S, Whole 30
Servings: 5
Calories: 60kcal
Author: Holly
Cost: $3

Equipment

  • Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 Spaghetti Squash
  • 1-2 cups water

Instructions

  • Remove any produce stickers from outside of spaghetti squash and rinse outside of spaghetti squash.
  • Place trivet in the pressure cooker insert.
  • Place whole spaghetti squash on top of the trivet.
  • Pour water into pot.
  • Check that the sealing ring is secure, and place lid on Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker.
  • Make sure steam release valve is set to [Sealing].
  • Press [Pressure Cook] or [Manual] to select cooking program.
  • Check pressure level and adjust to [High Pressure], if applicable. (Some pressure cookers have High and Low pressure settings, some only have one setting.)
  • Set pressure cooking time to 20 minutes by pressing the [+] or [-] buttons to adjust the time.
  • Start Instant Pot by waiting ten seconds for your pot to beep, turn on and start heating up. ~OR~ Some machines have a [Start] button which you have to press to start the machine.
  • When the pressure cooking time ends, you can either Quick Release the pressure or allow the pressure to naturally release.
    Note: The squash will continue to cook while naturally releasing, and will be more "done" than if you quick release the pressure manually. This is a matter of preference on how you like your spaghetti squash; some like it more on the crunchy side, some prefer it softer. If it is more crunchy than you like, you can always place it back in the pressure cooker and cook for another few minutes.
  • Using hot pads, carefully pull the cooked spaghetti squash out of the Instant Pot and place on a cutting board.
  • With a large, sharp knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half. I usually cut vertically, through the stem, but if you want your strands to be longer, you can cut horizontally through the equator.
  • Scoop out the seeds and pulp from the middle and discard.
  • Next, scoop out the cooked spaghetti squash. Season with butter, salt, and parmesan cheese and enjoy. Or use in another dish like One Pot Faux-getti Pasta.

Notes

I use cooked spaghetti squash as a side dish, seasoned with butter, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese. It is also fabulous topped with salsa and cooked, diced chicken. This versatile veggie can also be substituted for pasta or rice for a low-carb version of your favorite entree or casserole.

Nutrition

Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 232IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

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Homemade Yogurt in the Instant Pot

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Last updated on March 17th, 2021 at 10:56 am

Yogurt. Delicious, creamy, and nutritious, loaded with beneficial bacteria and good protein.

But the stuff you buy in the store can also be loaded with unwanted thickeners and sweeteners. Some packaged products do not even contain the live and active cultures that yogurt is known for, and you have to be a careful package reader to know for sure!

Not to mention grocery store prices that are often around 25 cents per ounce, compared to 2 or 3 cents per ounce for the cost of milk.

So why not try your hand at making yogurt at home with your Instant Pot?

Homemade yogurt tastes so much fresher than store-bought! And you know exactly what is in it. You get to control the sweetness level and flavor. And you know without a doubt that the cultures are live and active because those little guys just produced that creamy, tangy yogurt in your own kitchen!

Although it can seem complicated, making yogurt at home is really a simple process once you understand what’s happening in each step. And you can even make yogurt in your sleep!

The Science of Yogurt

The first thing to understand is that fresh milk from a cow is loaded with beneficial bacteria and enzymes. However, it can easily become contaminated with dangerous pathogens if it is mishandled. Therefore, store-bought milk is pasteurized by heating it up to varying temperatures to ensure it is safe for people to drink and use. Most milk is pasteurized to a standard temperature of 161 degrees Fahrenheit and held for at least 15 seconds to kill off much of the bacteria in the milk. Then when milk is properly refrigerated under 45 degrees, it will remain tasty and food-safe for 12-21 days.

Some milk is pasteurized at even higher temperatures (280 degrees Fahrenheit), thus rendering it completely sterile. This is called Ultra-Pasteurization (UP) or Ultra-High Temperature Pasteurization (UHT). This kills all good and bad bacteria in the milk and allows it to be shelf-stable for months without refrigeration until it is opened.

When you’re making yogurt at home, you are creating an environment that is ideal for the growth of the good yogurt-producing bacteria in your milk. The problem is that this is also the environment for bad bacteria to grow. Therefore, you want to inhibit all the other bacteria in your milk before “planting” those good yogurt bacteria into your milk.

The way to do this is by pasteurizing your milk by heating it up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit to eliminate non-yogurt bacteria right before culturing so the desired yummy, healthy yogurt bacteria are the ones that grow and multiply. You will want a kitchen thermometer like this one for this job.

Then you cool the milk back down to the culturing temperature of between 105-115 degrees.

Next, you add the yogurt starter, which is simply regular, plain yogurt that contains live and active cultures. The fresher this yogurt starter is, the better the result will be.

We use 2 Tablespoons of starter yogurt for every half-gallon of milk or 1/4 cup of starter for a gallon of milk.

Now, maintain the culturing temperature at between 105-115 degrees Fahrenheit for 6-12 hours, depending on how tangy you like your yogurt. This easily done in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker with a Yogurt setting.

Finally, chill the yogurt to allow it to set properly by placing it in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours. Sweeten and add toppings like honey, jam, granola, and fresh fruit. Enjoy!

A bowl of creamy Greek Yogurt topped with golden honey

If you’d like to make your yogurt even more thick and creamy, you can strain it and make Greek Yogurt. Use a cheesecloth and mesh strainer, or this Greek Yogurt maker is fantastic!

Simply place your finished yogurt in the strainer and allow whey to drain off for 10-24 hours, or until it reaches the thickness you prefer. You can always stir some whey back in to thin it out if it gets too thick.

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Homemade Yogurt in the Instant Pot

Fresh, creamy, delicious yogurt is easily made at home in the electric pressure cooker.
Prep Time15 hours
Total Time15 hours
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American, Health Food, Real Food
Keyword: Budget-friendly, Gluten-free, Homemade, Make-Ahead Breakfast, Real Food
Servings: 8
Calories: 147kcal
Author: Holly
Cost: $1.50

Equipment

  • Electric Pressure Cooker with Yogurt setting
  • Kitchen Thermometer
  • Whisk

Ingredients

  • ½ gallon milk whole is best, non-fat is not ideal
  • 2 tablespoons plain yogurt that contains live and active cultures

Instructions

Pasteurize the Milk

  • Pour milk into cold insert.
  • On the Instant Pot, choose the Yogurt program and select "More" to heat the milk to 180°F.
  • Whisk milk frequently avoiding scraping the bottom of the p to allow it to heat evenly.
  • It should take about 30 minutes for the milk to reach 180°F.

Cool the Milk

  • Remove insert from Instant Pot and place it in an ice bath in the sink or a large bowl. Whisk the milk while avoiding scraping the bottom of the pot. Allow the temperature to drop to between 105-115°F.

Add the Yogurt Starter Culture

  • Place the yogurt starter in a small bowl.
    Ladle some warm milk (105-115°) into the starter and whisk to combine.
  • Pour starter and milk back into the pot and whisk thoroughly in fully incorporate starter.

Maintain Culturing Temperature

  • Dry off outside of inner pot and place it back into Instant Pot and cover.
  • Select Yogurt Program again. This time, select "Normal" setting. The display should read 8:00. The Instant Pot will automatically keep the temperature between 105-110°F.
  • To adjust the time, press [+] or [-]. More time will result in a tangier yogurt.

Chill Yogurt to Set

  • When culturing time is completed, remove lid and insert a knife or spoon into yogurt to make sure it has thickened and cultured properly. A knife should be able to separate the thick yogurt and come out fairly clean. Don't stir yet.
  • Place a lid or plastic wrap over the pot and place it in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours.
  • Remove from refrigerator and stir well for a creamier consistency. Some people enjoy eating without stirring.
  • Serve with fruit, berries, honey, sweetener, jam, or granola. Enjoy!

To make Greek Yogurt or Strained Yogurt

  • Place chilled yogurt into a mesh strainer, lined with cheesecloth. Place over a bowl that is deep enough to keep the bottom of the mesh strainer out of the whey that will drain off the yogurt. Or use this Greek Yogurt Maker to strain your yogurt.

Nutrition

Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 104mg | Potassium: 320mg | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 383IU | Calcium: 273mg | Iron: 1mg

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