Chicken Patiala

Chicken patiala is a luscious, restaurant-style chicken curry that goes very well with Indian breads like garlic naan or tandoori roti. The gravy is mildly spiced but quite rich thanks to the addition of ground cashewnut and cream. Make it when you have company or when you are in the mood for something lavish!

Chicken Patiala is a signature Punjabi dish good enough for a feast. If you can't resist curried chicken with lots of creamy sauce, you've hit the jackpot here, my friend! I chanced upon this recipe on Get Curried and when I first made it, I was blown away by how lovely it was! Deep, rich flavors to die for. However, in its original form, it is a stove-top recipe with lots of involved steps. And since my mantra on this blog is to keep things simple as far as possible, I made two major modifications to it the next couple of times I cooked it.

1. I used my instant pot and cut down on the time. Pressure cooking the already tender chicken (after a bit of sautéing in the masala) took all of four minutes.
2. I also cut down significantly on the number of steps. No need to make two gravies as the original recipe suggests. You can get the same results using my easy, adapted recipe. Yay!

How to make chicken patiala

Note: exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card further down in the post.

Step 1 - Marinate the chicken

• Marinate skinless, bone-in chicken pieces in yogurt, ginger and garlic pastes, powdered spices (chilli, turmeric and black pepper), and salt. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Step 2 - Cook the marinated chicken in your instant pot.

You will need the ingredients in the picture below for this step:

• Turn your instant pot to sauté.
• Heat the oil and add the whole spices.
• When the spices sizzle, add the ginger and garlic pastes. Sauté for a minute.
• Follow with the chopped red onions. Fry the onions until they turn reddish-brown.
• Tip in the tomatoes and powdered spices. Cook until the tomatoes are soft. You might need to add a quarter cup water to keep the masala wet.
• Finally, add the marinated chicken and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.

Step 3 - Add the remaining goodies

You will need the ingredients in the picture below for this step:

• Open the instant pot after the timer beeps (quick pressure release) and add chopped fenugreek (methi) leaves, diced red onion, and diced green pepper. Sauté for a minute.
• Follow with the cashewnut paste. Add a quarter cup water if needed and cook for 8-10 minutes.
• Add garam masala powder, ginger juliennes, and fresh cream. Stir to mix in these ingredients.
• Take out the chicken in a bowl and drizzle with extra fresh cream. Serve with some warm Indian bread .

Some useful tips

1. Fresh fenugreek leaves are available in most supermarkets these days. They are kept right alongside the other herbs like cilantro and mint.
2. If you cannot find fresh fenugreek, you can use the dried leaves too. These are usually found in Indian or Pakistani stores.
3. The cashewnut paste can be prepared by soaking the cashews in some warm water to soften them (15 minutes) and then blending them along with the water in which they were soaked to a smooth paste.
4. If you don't have all the whole spices, these can be subbed with one-fourth teaspoon powdered garam masala.
5. If you don't have an instant pot, you can cook the chicken on the stovetop too. It would just take a bit more time and monitoring.

More chicken curry recipes

• Achari Chicken - A bold and spicy chicken curry made in Indian pickling spices. 
• Spinach Chicken - Tender pieces of boneless chicken breast and spinach leaves simmered in a creamy cashew sauce. 
• Butter Chicken - A magical combo of butter, tomatoes, yogurt, cream and spices. 
• Chicken Madras - A hot and vibrant chicken curry deeply flavored with spices.
• Chicken Tikka Masala - Boneless pieces of chicken thigh smothered in a creamy and luscious tomato and cream sauce. 

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