Instant Pot Massaman Chicken Curry. A quick weeknight curry, using store-bought curry paste, from my pressure cooker.

My son came back from a Toronto vacation a Massaman Curry addict. It was a fluke; he wanted Korean BBQ, but the line was too long, so he tried the Thai place around the corner. Ever since, he’s been nagging me to make him Massaman curry. Of course, I’ve made it for him before, but he claims he doesn’t remember that.

Why am I making this traditionally beef curry with chicken? Our local Thai restaurants let you choose your protein, and he picks chicken more often than not. So, here’s a remake of my beef version of Massaman curry, this time with chicken.

My trick to Thai cooking is store-bought curry paste. Maesri brand is my favorite, because the can is the right size for my pot of curry. I also like the taste of Mae Ploy brand, sold in larger tubs, but I don’t make curry often enough, so I wind up throwing away most of the tub. And that bothers me.

My pressure cooker chicken trick is to use chicken thighs. Thighs can handle the pressure, unlike that delicate flower, chicken breast, which will overcook if you look at it funny. Join us on the Dark Side of the Chicken!

Recipe: Instant Pot Massaman Chicken Curry

Instant Pot Massaman Chicken Curry

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• Author: Mike Vrobel
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 3 quarts of curry 1x

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Description

Instant Pot Massaman Chicken Curry. A quick weeknight curry, using store-bought curry paste, from my pressure cooker.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 medium red bell pepper, trimmed, seeded, and cut into thin strips
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ inch piece of ginger, peeled and crushed
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Cream from the top of a 13.5-ounce can of coconut milk
• ½ cup massaman curry paste (a whole 4 oz can)
• 2 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1½ pounds baby potatoes
• The liquid from a 13.5-ounce can coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Juice of 1 lime

Garnish and Sides

• Minced cilantro
• Minced basil (preferably Thai basil)
• Lime wedges
• Crushed peanuts
• Jasmine rice

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Instructions

1. Sauté the aromatics: Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in the pressure cooker pot until shimmering. (Use Sauté mode adjusted to high in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker.) Stir in the onion, red pepper, garlic, and ginger, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt, and sauté until the onion starts to soften, about 3 minutes.
2. Fry the curry paste: Scoop the solid cream from the top of the can of coconut milk and add it to the pot. (Stop when you hit the thin coconut liquid, and save it for later in the recipe.) Stir in the curry paste and cook, stirring often, until the curry paste darkens and the fat starts to separate, about 5 minutes.
3. Pressure cook the curry for 10 minutes, with a quick pressure release: Sprinkle the cubed chicken with the fine sea salt. Stir the chicken into the pot, coating it with curry paste. Stir in the potatoes, and then the rest of the can of coconut milk. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Lock the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes in an electric PC or stovetop PC. Quick release the pressure in the pot.
4. Finish the curry: When the pressure valve drops, remove the lid from the pressure cooker, tilting it away from you – the steam is scalding hot. Stir in the lime juice. Ladle the curry into bowls, sprinkle with minced cilantro, basil, and crushed peanuts, and serve with Jasmine rice.

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Equipment

6-Quart Pressure Cooker

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Flat edged wooden spoon

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Notes

• OK, OK, if you insist on using boneless skinless chicken breasts, go ahead. Cut them into 1-inch cubes and use them in the recipe; It doesn’t change the cooking time.

Tools

• 6 quart or larger pressure cooker (I love my Instant Pot 6-Quart Pressure Cooker)
• Flat edged wooden spoon

• Category: Weeknight Dinner
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: Thai

Keywords: Instant Pot Massaman Chicken Curry, Pressure Cooker Massaman Chicken Curry

What do you think?

Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.

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Pressure Cooker Thai Green Chicken Curry
Instant Pot Short Ribs with Coconut Milk and Thai Curry
Pressure Cooker Thai Panang Beef Curry
My other Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Recipes

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