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!
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Why this recipe works
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.
- 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.
- 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 of ingredients 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 .
Top tips
- Fresh fenugreek leaves are available in most supermarkets these days. They are kept right alongside the other herbs like cilantro and mint.
- If you cannot find fresh fenugreek, you can use the dried leaves too. These are usually found in Indian or Pakistani stores.
- 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.
- If you don't have all the whole spices, these can be subbed with one-fourth teaspoon powdered garam masala.
- 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.
Best sides to serve with chicken patiala
Chicken tastes fantastic with some basic bread or plain rice, but if you want to move away from the same old and do things differently, try some new side dishes to go with it. Here are a few recipes that complement it perfectly:
- Whole Wheat Naan - Soft, pillowy and healthy naan bread made with whole wheat flour or atta.
- Cumin Rice - Basmati rice flavored with cumin and other whole spices.
- Onion Raita - A quick and easy yogurt dip that is a must-have with curries.
- Bombay Potatoes - Crispy and spicy baby potatoes with soft insides.
These are just a few possibilities. Find a lot more recipes for what to serve with chicken curry in this post: 20+ Best Side Dishes for Chicken Curry. You'll never run out of ideas for interesting sides!
📖 Recipe
Chicken Patiala
Equipment
- 6-quart Instant Pot Duo
- Pryex bowl
Ingredients
For marinating the chicken
- 1.5 lbs chicken bone-in, cut into 14 pieces
- ½ cup yogurt
- ½ teaspoon ginger paste
- ½ teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- sea salt to taste
For cooking the chicken
- ⅓ cup cooking oil
- 3 green cardamom
- 3 cloves
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 3 medium red onions finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 cup fenugreek leaves methi
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 green pepper or capsicum diced
- ⅓ cup cashew paste
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ tablespoon ginger julienned
- ¼ cup fresh cream
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken pieces in yogurt, ginger and garlic pastes, powdered spices (chilli, turmeric and black pepper), and sea salt. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Turn your instant pot to sauté. Heat the oil and add the whole spices.
- When the spices sizzle, add the ginger and garlic pastes. Fry for a minute.
- Follow with the chopped red onions. Fry the onions until they turn reddish-brown.
- Tip in the tomatoes and the powdered spices (chilli, turmeric, and coriander). Cook until the tomatoes are soft. Add a few splashes of water to keep the masala from sticking.
- Finally, add the marinated chicken and cancel sauté. Secure the lid and make sure the steam release vent is on 'sealing.' Press the pressure cooking button (high) and set the timer to four minutes. Release the pressure when the timer beeps by turning the steam release vent to 'venting.'
- Open the pot and add the chopped fenugreek (methi) leaves, diced red onion, and diced green pepper. Fry for a minute.
- Follow with the cashew paste. Add a quarter cup water if needed and cook for 8-10 minutes. Add garam masala powder, ginger juliennes, and fresh cream. Serve hot with Indian bread like naan.
Notes
- Fresh fenugreek leaves are available in most supermarkets these days. They are kept right alongside the other herbs like cilantro and mint.
- If you cannot find fresh fenugreek, you can use the dried leaves too. These are usually found in Indian or Pakistani stores.
- 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.
- If you don't have all the whole spices, these can be subbed with one-fourth teaspoon powdered garam masala.
- 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.
Andy Taylor says
Cooked last night, fabulous curry, will be cooking again.
Saima says
Thanks Andy!