The Kitchen Appliance That Makes Butter Chicken A Breeze

A delish bowl of velvety butter chicken or murgh makhani with a splash of cream may be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the perfect pairing for naan. Butter chicken remains one of the most popular Indian dishes around the world (though Tandoori chicken is the Indian dish people most want to try). Still, it wouldn't be surprising to find plenty who've tried whipping up this quintessentially Punjabi classic at home. 

While you might have gone the traditional route of cooking it in a kadhai with a slow-simmered tomato base and marinated chicken, that can be labor-intensive and time-consuming. To make the process simpler, a kitchen appliance that comes in handy and also takes the guesswork out is an Instant Pot. 

Traditionalists might cock an eyebrow at using this method, as the original recipe calls for marinating the chicken for days to develop that succulent texture where the meat has absorbed the flavors and shreds apart with a single lift. While an Instant Pot might not be able to compete with that level of preparation, it definitely helps satiate your hankering for creamy butter chicken when you're short on time. And it can do so while creating an equally luscious taste and complex flavor.

Urvashi Pitre, an Indian food blogger based in Dallas and author of "The Indian Instant Pot Cookbook" — whose Instant Pot butter chicken recipe went viral — has proven you can make a delicious, authentic-tasting butter chicken in the Instant Pot. Pitre, who also goes by the name of "Butter-Chicken Lady" told The New Yorker that many of her Indian readers question the authenticity of these quick-fix recipes.   "But, as soon as they're able to reproduce a dish they grew up with because of me, they're totally committed," she told the publication.

There are a few ways to make the Instant Pot process even quicker. The first hack is to skip the onions, not only because traditional recipes don't call for them, but sautéing onions can also easily eat up a chunk of your prep time. If you still want to include them, try adding a pinch of baking soda. Baking soda is key to faster-browning onions as it helps break them down by changing the pH level. You could also swap in canned roasted tomatoes to speed things up. And if you can spare a few minutes, try blending the roasted tomatoes with some puree and a bit of tomato paste to make the base extra flavourful. 

You can serve your butter chicken with naan, rice, or even noodles, depending on how thick the sauce turns out. And if you find yourself hooked on the Instant Pot after this, which you most likely will, there are plenty more easy Instant Pot recipes worth trying.