Instant Pot Goat Curry, Indian style. Goat meat with onions, tomato, and Indian spices are pressure cooked for 25 minutes to make this classic curry. And, you'll have tender goat meat in under an hour of total cooking time, thanks to the pressure cooker.
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Curry goat is a classic meal worldwide, from Jamaica to Indonesia. It is especially popular on the Indian subcontinent; India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal all claim ownership. I'm making a version based on the goat curries I've had at local Indian and Nepalese restaurants, with a base of onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, and many Indian spices.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 pounds goat meat, cut into 1½-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional - see heat levels)
- 1 cup of water or chicken broth (preferably homemade chicken broth or low-sodium chicken broth)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- Minced cilantro as a garnish (optional)
How to make Instant Pot Goat Curry
Sear the goat in two batches
In an Instant Pot set to Sauté mode - high (or medium-high heat in a stovetop PC), heat the vegetable oil until it starts to shimmer, about 3 minutes. While the pot heats, sprinkle the goat cubes with 1 teaspoon salt. Add ½ of the goat to the pot in a loose single layer and sear until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. (Don't crowd the pot, or the goat will steam, not brown). Transfer the browned goat to a bowl, add the remaining goat to the pot, and sear until browned on one side, about 3 more minutes. Transfer the browned goat to the bowl.
Toast the spices and sauté the aromatics:
Add the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick to the oil in the pot and sauté for 1 minute. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions soften, about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of goat. Make a hole in the center of the onions and add the curry powder, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and cayenne pepper. Let the ground spices toast for 1 minute, then stir them into the onions.
Everything into the pot
Pour in the chicken broth or water, and stir in the teaspoon of fine sea salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot again to release any browned bits of onion or spices. Stir in the browned goat and any juices in the bowl. Pour the crushed tomatoes over the top of the goat.
Pressure cook the curry for 25 minutes with a natural pressure release
Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode in an Instant Pot) or for 20 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally for about 20 more minutes. (If you're in a hurry, you can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.)
Serve
Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam. Serve with rice, and enjoy!
Ingredients Notes
Goat: Any red meat will work in this recipe as written. You can make this a mutton curry, lamb curry, or beef curry by swapping out the meat. (I have to go to
Spices: I simplified the spices as much as possible in this recipe without losing that flavor that makes me say, "Ah! Curry!". But if you're having trouble finding them, you can simplify the spices even more. You can make this recipe with only curry powder or garam masala by making these substitutions:
- Cardamom pods - 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- Cinnamon stick - ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- Turmeric - 1 teaspoon curry powder
- Coriander - 1 teaspoon curry powder
If you substitute for the spices toasted in oil at the beginning, skip the toasting step and add the extra curry powder and garam masala powder with the rest of the spice blends after sauteing the onions.
Heat levels: The heat in this curry comes from the cayenne pepper. I like a hot curry, but Indian is one cuisine where I will NOT challenge the chef to make it as hot as they can. The ½ teaspoon of cayenne makes this a 3 out of 6 heat level. For different heat levels:
- 1 - No cayenne
- 2 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 3 - ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 4 - 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 5 - 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne
- 6 - 2 teaspoons cayenne (or add it until it feels good - at this level, I assume you know what you're doing.)
What to serve with Instant Pot Goat Curry
I always serve my curry with white rice, which in India means basmati rice. (Or, if I'm trying to be healthy, I'll serve goat curry with my Instant Pot Brown Basmati Rice.) A flatbread like Indian Naan is also good for dipping and soaking up the sauce.
Print
Instant Pot Goat Curry Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
Instant Pot Goat Curry, Indian style. Goat meat with onions, tomato, and Indian spices are pressure cooked for 25 minutes to make this classic curry. And, you'll have tender goat meat in under an hour of total cooking time, thanks to the pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 pounds goat meat, cut into 1½-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional - see heat levels)
- 1 cup of water or chicken broth (preferably homemade chicken broth or low-sodium chicken broth)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- Minced cilantro as a garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Sear the goat in two batches: In an Instant Pot set to Sauté mode - high (or medium-high heat in a stovetop PC), heat the vegetable oil until it starts to shimmer, about 3 minutes. While the pot heats, sprinkle the goat cubes with 1 teaspoon salt. Add ½ of the goat to the pot in a loose single layer and sear until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. (Don't crowd the pot, or the goat will steam, not brown). Transfer the browned goat to a bowl, add the remaining goat to the pot, and sear until browned on one side, about 3 more minutes. Transfer the browned goat to the bowl.
- Toast the spices and sauté the aromatics: Add the cardamom pods and cinnamon stick to the oil in the pot and sauté for 1 minute. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions soften, about 5 minutes, occasionally scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of goat. Make a hole in the center of the onions and add the curry powder, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and cayenne pepper. Let the ground spices toast for 1 minute, then stir them into the onions.
- Everything into the pot: Pour in the chicken broth or water, and stir in the teaspoon of fine sea salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot again to release any browned bits of onion or spices. Stir in the browned goat and any juices in the bowl. Pour the crushed tomatoes over the top of the goat.
- Pressure cook the curry for 25 minutes with a natural pressure release: Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Cook at high pressure for 25 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode in an Instant Pot) or for 20 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally for about 20 more minutes. (If you're in a hurry, you can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.)
- Serve: Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam. Serve with rice, and enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Indian
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Curry Powder vs Garam Masala
What is the difference between Curry powder and Garam masala? They are spice blends with Indian flavors, but the spice mix and balance give them very different flavors. Curry powder usually comprises turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek, and other spices. Garam Masala is usually made with Cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and other spices.
Now, in India, Masala means a spice mix. "Curry" powder is a British adaptation of the complex spice mixes used in various Indian dishes. Garam masala is a little more authentic and a specific type of curry powder. (The ones I get usually claim to be from the Punjabi region).
Why use both in this curry? Because of their different flavors. To my tastes, Curry powder has a sweet and spicy flavor, and Garam Masala has an earthy and bitter flavor. The mix of the two gives my dishes some of the complexity of a good curry. Of course, it's not as good as freshly toasted whole spices, ground right before you make the curry, but I take the convenience factor of good curry powders and garam masalas.
Equipment
Scaling
This recipe fills up the pot, so if you want to make a big batch, you need an 8-quart pressure cooker to double the size. Cut all the ingredients in half, and this recipe will fit in a 3-quart pressure cooker. The cooking time does not change; it takes the same time to cook a single piece of goat meat, no matter how many are in the pot.
Storage
Curry is great as leftovers. Like most stews, it tastes as good, if not better, the second day. Goat Curry will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator or frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
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Mike Vrobel says
Try it, you'll love it!