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!
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.