This green chicken curry is a pour and cook recipe! Blend a handful of ingredients together in a food processor or blender, pour the sauce over chicken, and cook!
Green chicken masala is light and lemony and herby. It’s very different from the more common tomato-based Indian curries that you might be used to eating.
This dish is really easy to make. I’ve been working on coming up with more pour and cook recipes, and this one (like all the rest) requires very little effort and happens to be big on flavor.
What’s Green Chicken Curry/Hariyali Chicken?
This green chicken curry goes by a few names: hariyali chicken, green chicken masala, and green chutney chicken. There’s a chance I may have made up that last one (green chutney chicken). I’m not actually sure anyone calls it that except for me, lol.
Hariyali chicken is typically made two ways: as a dry preparation, which is how you’ll often find it served at Indian parties (hariyali chicken tikka), or as a curry where chicken is simmered in a verdant sauce (hariyali chicken masala) and served over rice or with roti. The recipe I’m sharing today is a curry.
Also, for those who’ve never heard the word hariyali, it just means “greenery.” And clearly, there’s quite a bit of greenery in this. The main ingredients: cilantro, mint, yogurt, lemon, spices, and cashews.
Cashews aren’t typically used in this dish, but I like the nuttiness and the touch of creaminess they add to the sauce. I’ve made this without nuts too, and it’s still good, a bit thinner, though. If you can’t have nuts, leave them out, or maybe try it with unsweetened shredded coconut? Or white poppy seeds, or sesame seeds? I’m just thinking (writing?) out loud… 🤔
LOOK AT HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE THIS POUR AND COOK GREEN CHICKEN CURRY IN AN INSTANT POT:
Blend a few ingredients together.
Pour the green sauce over chicken and cook!
Open the lid and admire your perfectly cooked green chicken curry!
Give this green chicken curry a try and let me know what you think!
Instant Pot Green Chicken Curry (Hariyali Chicken)
Instant Pot Green Chicken Curry (Hariyali Chicken)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- 1 bunch cilantro including stems
- 1 small bunch mint leaves*
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 2- inch ginger
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 serrano pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon amchur powder dried green mango powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
Instructions
- Add the chicken to the instant pot.
- Blend the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender then pour this over the chicken.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure or wait 10 minutes then release pressure.
- Using two forks, shred the chicken right into the curry.
Video
Notes
Dipika says
Can I make this with boneless chicken breast or bone-in chicken thighs? What will be the cook time for that?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Dipika, I’ve only tried this with skinless and boneless thighs but I’m sure those will work, you can try the same cook time. Let me know how it goes!
Sima says
This curry is so easy and delicious! Followed all of Ashley’s steps and it came out perfect.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thank you, Sima! I’m so glad you like this recipe 🙂
Anoop says
Awesome recipe. Very easy and quick to make. Our friends loved it. Definitely recommended.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Anoop, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how the dish turned out for you 🙂
Fareeba says
Hi Ashley. Yes it is a 6 qt IP Duo. I realized on careful re-reading of the recipe that you used a fattier cut of chicken; I use chicken tenders, and so a little oil was needed. I also added an extra bunch or cilantro for more gravy and it was delish! I have to say that my IP gives food burn notices 1 out of 4 times. Often with rice or potato dishes. I learnt from your FB page that some people have dealt with this by using rice mode. I dealt with it a couple of times by using low pressure and cooking for a longer duration.
Thanks so much for all you work on these recipes.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Fareeba, that’s very helpful to know, thank you for sharing 🙂
Fareeba says
Ashley, I so love this recipe! I make it at least2-3 times a month! I was getting food burn notices and realized I needed to add 1/2 tsp oil and a tad more water or yoghurt and all was well!
I wonder if you could advise how to do this on a stovetop. My parents don’t have a pressure cooker. Do you think following the recipe with a bit of oil and then 45 mins on medium-low would work?
My Heart Beets says
Hi Fareeba, I’m happy to hear that you like this so much 🙂 Glad you were able to figure out the burn notice – sorry that gave you trouble. Just wondering but were you getting this notice with a 6 qt? As for the stovetop, I’d try what you suggested – though you may need to add more water as it evaporates on the stove. Hope that helps!
Lorraine McCall says
Could we please add another star for this big winner? I have loved your recipes, Ashley and shared so many links to your site that my friends are starting to wonder if I’m getting kickbacks. This is SOOOOO good. And SOOOOO easy. An added bonus is that I have finally gotten comfortable with my IP. I’ve traveled quite a bit in India (north and south) and of course love the food (and the people). I’ve been experimenting with lots of different recipes before finding your site, but your recipes (especially the Onion Masala) make everything so easy and really fun, that I’m cooking much more.
Thank you so much! Lorraine
PS – do you live in Pittsburgh? It’s my hometown and I noticed a reference somewhere about the Giant Eagle. I was there on Diwali, but didn’t have time to go to the beautiful temple.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Lorraine, I’ll take the extra star, lol! And thank you – I really appreciate you sharing my blog with your friends 🙂 Yes, I live in Shadyside! We moved here 5 or so years ago and love Pittsburgh!
Julie says
Has anyone tried this with dried mint? I am dying to make this again but I don’t have any fresh mint on hand.
Sadiya Ahmed says
Hi Ashley, can’t wait to try this recipe! Question – is there any way to incorporate rice into the recipe? Can we just add it on top with some broth? And what are your thoughts about adding a tomato? Some hariyali recipes call for that.
Thanks!
Sadiya
My Heart Beets says
Hi Sadiya, you can cook rice using the pot-in-pot method. Put a tall trivet into the pot, place an oven-safe container on top with rice, water, salt, and oil and then cook 🙂 As for tomato, I’m sure you can do that if you’d like!
Wajiha says
Any alternatives to cashews? We have a kid that a nut allergy, but have been really craving hariyali chicken!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Wajiha, you can leave the nuts out – the sauce will still be good, just a bit more watery. You can also try subbing white sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Let me know what you think!