42 min
Instant Pot Mild Curry Chicken and Rice with Sweet Peppers
One pot turns chicken thighs, basmati rice, sweet peppers and peas into a gently spiced family dinner with fluffy grains instead of mush.
Photo: Takeaway / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Instant Pot Family Dinners
Instant Pot Thai-Style Massaman Chicken with Potatoes
Tender chicken thighs and golden potatoes pressure-cook in a mild aromatic broth, then finish in a coconut-tamarind sauce with roasted peanuts.
Directions
Season the chicken
Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Keep the pieces close to 2 inches so they cook at the same rate without drying.
Bloom the curry paste
Select Sauté on Normal on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Add oil and curry paste and cook for 45 seconds, stirring constantly, just until fragrant. Cancel Sauté before the paste darkens.
Deglaze with thin liquid
Pour in the broth and scrape the base until completely smooth with no stuck paste. Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, tamarind and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add chicken in an even layer, then place potatoes and onion on top without packing them down. Keep everything below the model's maximum-fill line.
Pressure-cook and release
Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes; allow about 12 minutes to come to pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remainder in short controlled pulses. Pause if liquid sputters and open only after the float valve drops.
Verify doneness
Check several chicken pieces from different parts of the pot with an instant-read thermometer; each must reach 165°F. A knife should slide easily through the potatoes. If needed, return undercooked pieces to the simmering sauce until they reach the target.
Finish with coconut milk
Select Sauté on Low. Stir in the coconut milk and 1/4 cup peanuts and simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring from the base, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Do not boil hard. Cancel Sauté and add lime juice.
Plate the curry
Spoon the reddish-brown curry into bowls with large chicken and potato pieces visible, matching the photograph. Scatter with the remaining peanuts and serve with jasmine rice. Keep the shared curry mild and offer sliced chile or chile crisp at the table.
Why this works
Why it worksBlooming the paste develops its spices, while a full deglaze and 1 1/2 cups of thin broth provide a clean steam path before food is layered in.
Why it worksCoconut milk waits until after pressure, preventing its rich solids from settling on the hot base and reducing burn-warning risk.
Why it worksA 10-minute natural release gently finishes the chicken and potatoes; the open-lid coconut simmer then adjusts body without overcooking either one.
Useful kitchen gear
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Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on Amazon6-quart electric pressure cookerThe 1 1/2-cup thin-broth base, six-minute cycle and staged release are calibrated for this common family capacity.See current options →
Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerCheck chicken pieces from several parts of the pot for 165°F before the coconut finish.See current options →
Compare on AmazonFamily-size rice cookerIt cooks and holds the jasmine rice separately while the curry pressure-cooks and its coconut sauce reduces.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use boneless chicken breast cut into 2-inch pieces, but pressure-cook for 4 minutes and still verify 165°F to reduce drying.
- For a fish-free curry, replace fish sauce with 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce plus salt to taste.
- Sweet potatoes can replace half the Yukon Golds; cut them into 2-inch chunks because they soften faster.
Cook notes
- Total time includes about 12 minutes to pressurize, the 6-minute cycle, a 10-minute natural release and the coconut-milk finish.
- Written for a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Follow your model manual for minimum liquid, maximum fill and venting, and never force the lid.
- Curry paste strength varies. Three tablespoons gives a mild family base; add more only during the open-lid finish or offer heat at the table.
- Chicken must reach 165°F in several sampled pieces; color alone is not a reliable doneness test.
- Do not stir coconut milk into the pot before pressure. The measured thin broth must stay at the base to generate steam cleanly.
Storage
Cool curry and rice in separate shallow containers within 2 hours. Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat the curry gently, stirring and adding broth if thick, until the chicken reaches 165°F; reheat rice separately to 165°F. Freeze the curry without rice for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Questions
Why is the coconut milk added after pressure?
Its fat and coconut solids can concentrate against the hot base while the cooker heats. Adding it after pressure preserves a fresh coconut flavor and makes a burn warning less likely.
Can I use bone-in thighs?
Yes. Use similarly sized pieces, increase the pressure cycle to 9 minutes and check every piece away from bone for 165°F before serving.
Why is my sauce thinner than restaurant curry?
Pressure cooking retains moisture. Simmer uncovered on Sauté Low for several minutes after adding coconut milk; the sauce will also thicken slightly as it stands.
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Instant Pot Thai-Style Massaman Chicken with Potatoes
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1. Season the chickenPat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Keep the pieces close to 2 inches so they cook at the same rate without drying.
2. Bloom the curry pasteSelect Sauté on Normal on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Add oil and curry paste and cook for 45 seconds, stirring constantly, just until fragrant. Cancel Sauté before the paste darkens.
3. Deglaze with thin liquidPour in the broth and scrape the base until completely smooth with no stuck paste. Stir in fish sauce, brown sugar, tamarind and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add chicken in an even layer, then place potatoes and onion on top without packing them down. Keep everything below the model's maximum-fill line.
4. Pressure-cook and releaseLock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes; allow about 12 minutes to come to pressure. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent the remainder in short controlled pulses. Pause if liquid sputters and open only after the float valve drops.
5. Verify donenessCheck several chicken pieces from different parts of the pot with an instant-read thermometer; each must reach 165°F. A knife should slide easily through the potatoes. If needed, return undercooked pieces to the simmering sauce until they reach the target.
6. Finish with coconut milkSelect Sauté on Low. Stir in the coconut milk and 1/4 cup peanuts and simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring from the base, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Do not boil hard. Cancel Sauté and add lime juice.
7. Plate the currySpoon the reddish-brown curry into bowls with large chicken and potato pieces visible, matching the photograph. Scatter with the remaining peanuts and serve with jasmine rice. Keep the shared curry mild and offer sliced chile or chile crisp at the table.