A creamy, nutty, decadent almond chicken curry that requires nothing more than blending a few ingredients together and pressing the “start” button on an instant pot.
I know on paper, this recipe for Chicken Badami (Chicken with Almonds) seems nuts. And I’m not just saying that due to the almonds. It’s because I’ve basically reduced what’s meant to be a time-consuming, royal dish into a simple, pour and cook recipe. You’re probably thinking I am a badam (an almond, like a nut… get it? yeah, my jokes are terrible and usually require an explanation, but I can’t help but tell them anyway 😂).
Maybe I am a little nutty. Because I wholeheartedly believe that Indian food is (or at least it can be) really easy to cook. Who says we have to spend half the day in the kitchen to enjoy a proper homemade Indian meal? Why can’t we blend a bunch of stuff together and then have a machine cook our food? This is 2020. Anything is possible (I mean that quite literally… have you seen the news lately?).
What is Murgh Badami?
Murgh Badami is a mildly spiced, indulgent curry made with yogurt, almond flour, garlic, ginger, and fragrant spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
You might think that a Mughlai dish is something to save for a special occasion. After all, dishes like this were originally invented and intended for royalty during the Mughal empire.
Well, it’s true that this dish is good enough to serve the royal guests in your life but it’s also easy enough to make on a busy weeknight. It’s a curry that’ll taste as though you spent all day cooking it when really, you’ll only need 5 minutes of hands-on time.
Several years ago, I shared a stovetop recipe for murgh badami in an ebook. Before coming up with this instant pot version, I thought about just re-sharing my old recipe here on the blog (because it’s a good one) but I couldn’t get myself to make and re-photograph that particular stovetop recipe (and trust me, it needed new photos). Why? Because the instant pot has ruined me. The idea of having to exert a reasonable amount of effort in order to produce a chicken curry on the stovetop now seems overwhelming/exhausting.
I’d much rather blend a bunch of ingredients together, toss ’em in the instant pot and do nothing while I wait for the pressure cooker to cook my dinner for me. And by “do nothing,” I mean to do more pressing things, like peeling tiny dinosaur stickers off of my kitchen cabinets (courtesy of my thoughtful three-year-old). 🦖
Top this almond chicken curry with crunchy sliced (or slivered) almonds before serving. Yes, they’ll make the dish pretty, but more importantly, they’ll add necessary crunch. Serve this with plain basmati rice or an Indian flatbread, and eat like a king whenever you want. 👑
Instant Pot Murgh Badami (Almond Chicken Curry)
Instant Pot Murgh Badami (Almond Chicken Curry)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skinless and boneless chicken thighs
- 1 cup plain yogurt whole milk
- ¼ cup water
- 1 onion roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2- inch knob ginger roughly chopped
- 1 Serrano pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice half a lemon
Spices
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika or Kashmiri chili powder mild
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground if possible cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne to taste, optional
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Add Later:
- ½ cup almond flour
- Sliced or slivered almonds to taste
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender (except for the chicken and those listed under “add later”) and blend until smooth. Pour this over the raw chicken and mix well.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes.
- Press sauté, add the almond flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- You can either shred the chicken right in the pot or use kitchen shears/scissors to cut the chicken into cubes.
- Garnish with cilantro and sliced/slivered almonds (don’t omit, they add crunch!).
Jill says
This recipe was fantastic! I used Harmless Harvest coconut yogurt to keep it paleo and it tasted great! It actually thickened it so I ended up not needing as much almond flour. Thank you so much! Your recipes are so good and simple to follow!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Jill, that’s great to hear – thanks for letting me know how much you liked it! And for sharing how it turned out with coconut yogurt – I know that’ll help others.
Protima says
Hi Ashley,
Would this recipe taste the same if I use a red onion instead of a yellow onion? Same question for the onion in your kali mirch dahi chicken? Trying to make these recipes with red onions in India.
Thanks,
Protima
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Protima, a red onion is just fine – use what you have!
Indhu says
Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes- what does it mean. I should wait for 10 minutes so the pressure gets released naturally or should I release the pressure after waiting for 10 minutes once the curry is cooked. Can you please clarify
Debbie says
Great recipe – I made it exactly as stated and had a fabulous family friendly (2 picky teens) dinner.
Thanks Ashley!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Debbie, that’s great to hear! I’m so glad your family enjoyed it 🙂
Safa says
Excellent! Super fast and easy. We loved this and it was just as good as my mother in law’s 3 hour version. The only things I did different are: I fried the slivered almonds and I doubled the almond flour. Thank you Ashley for these AMAZINGLY delicious and simple recipe. You have made Indian cooking accessible for me. I cannot express how much I appreciate you.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Safa, wow so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how this turned out for you 🙂
Mary says
Delicious! Thank you!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Mary, happy to hear that you liked this!
K Marie Tyler says
You know what I love? ALL YOUR FOOD! Your recipes are delicious, beautiful and accessible to the normal home cook. I would have never believed at this point in my life I would say, yeah, I make pretty excellent Indian food, but you have made that a true statement.
Thank you for sharing all this deliciousness.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thank you so much for the kind words! Your comment made my day – I appreciate it so much 🙂
Jordan says
One of the best–and easiest–recipes on the blog, in my opinion.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Jordan, that’s great to hear 🙂 Glad you like this so much!
Daniel Ivers says
Hi there, can I double up on this recipe in the instant pot and if so would the cooking time alter?
Many thanks
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Daniel, I haven’t tried myself, but I think it’ll be fine. I’d keep the cook time the same. Let me know how it goes!
Ahsia says
Love the recipe- can i add my onion masala with yougurt to this and blend that?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Ahsia! I haven’t tried it this way but am sure it’d be good – though a different flavor. Let me know what you think if you experiment!