Kadai Chicken is a spicy, semi-dry Indian curry featuring crunchy onions, peppers, ginger, and toasted spices. Enjoy this restaurant favorite with this 30-minute Instant Pot recipe.
Turn on Saute and wait till the display reads 'hot'. Add 1 tablespoon oil, cubed onion and green pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Remove and reserve for later.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, finely chopped onion, minced ginger and garlic and give it a stir. Cover with a glass lid and saute 3 to 4 minutes until onions soften.
Add chicken pieces along with salt and all dry spices. Saute for 2 minutes. Cancel Saute.
Add water and deglaze the pot by scrapping off any brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom. Add diced tomato and give it a stir.
Close the lid, vent set to sealing. Select pressure cook or manual and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure. After the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, followed by a quick release of pressure.
Turn on Saute. Check for seasoning. Add julienned ginger and simmer chicken for 3 to 5 minutes until the curry thickens.
Stir in the reserved sautéed peppers and onions.
Cancel Saute and stir in ground cardamom. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve warm with cumin rice, roti or naan.
Vegetarian variation: It''s easy to make this curry vegetarian or vegan. Simply swap out the chicken for cubed paneer or extra-firm tofu (vegan). Make the karahi curry per the instructions, then stir in the tofu or paneer after pressure cooking.
Spice level: The spice level of this curry is medium-spicy, so feel free to add more or reduce to your liking! The Kashmiri red chili powder is a mild- to medium-spicy. So if you'd like curry with a little less heat, you can use paprika instead.
Spice from ginger: This dish uses ginger in two ways. I use minced ginger for the curry base, and julienned ginger for finishing the dish. This combination gives this curry a bit of a kick. If you're sensitive to spice, reduce the quantity of both in half.
Chicken: You can use other cuts of chicken in this recipe. For boneless skinless chicken breast, cut them into 2-inch pieces and cook for the same time. If using chicken drumsticks, remove their skin, follow the recipe and increase the pressure cooking time to 12 minutes.
To make Pot-in-Pot rice: Rinse 1 cup rice 2-3 times. Drain rice and add to an oven safe bowl that fits in the Instant Pot. Add 1¼ water + ½ teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon olive oil and stir. Place a trivet over the curry, place rice bowl on top. Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 minutes. Follow the remaining instructions.
This recipe has been developed in a 6qt Instant Pot. If using an 8qt, add more water to meet the requirements.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.