Have I convinced you to try an Instant Pot yet?  If not, here is the recipe that may just tip the scales in favor of that new kitchen gadget.  I came home after a long day at work and pulled out my pot.  Threw in sliced chicken, chopped veggies, coconut milk, curry paste and 30 minutes later we were sitting down for dinner.  Yep, thirty minutes to fragrant bowls of Massaman Curry Chicken over rice.  A complete meal, a party in a bowl and my mouth.  Chunks of cauliflower, peppers, potatoes, eggplant, and chicken surrounded by a rich autumn orange hued curry sauce that is creamy, spicy and sweet.

Curry On

Despite being somewhat of a purist (no box cake mixes or frozen pre-formed pie crusts in this house, nope) the key to this meal, besides the Instant Pot, is the pre-made curry paste.  I vow (lol, not) to one day make my own curry paste but for now I’m wimping out, life’s full of compromises.  Find my favorite curry pastes, either Mae Ploy and Aroy-D, at your neighborhood Asian market or on Amazon.  There are quite a few different ones you can pick from so I thought I would give you the quick and dirty on curries.

Green-Spiciest of the Thai curries, fresh green chilis, kaffir lime leaves, basil, shallots, ginger, garlic and coconut milk for sweetness

Red-Red chilis, lemongrass, shallots, ginger and fish paste and coconut milk. Not quite as spicy as green curry and a work horse for curries. Goes well with chicken, seafood, beef and a variety of vegetables

Yellow-Mildest of the curries.  It is a combination of kaffir lime leaves, turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds and coconut cream. Great with vegetables

Massaman- Finds its roots in Indian curries and is made of red chilies, galangal, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg, cardamom, coriander,  cloves, and cinnamon.  Coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves are then added to create the sauce.  Peanuts and potatoes finish off this delicious curry.  I used Massaman curry for the dish in this post

Panang-Found its way to central Thailand by way of Laos  It is milder and subtle, spicier than Thai curries.  It is made from dried chilies, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, lemongrass, cilantro, cumin, garlic, ginger, shallots.  Peanuts are often used in this curry

I am sure there are rules for what vegetables or meats and which you should use with each type of curry you should use but my motto is experiment.  Try different vegetables and meats with any of the curries and create your own favorites.

This recipe is an adaptation from Paint the Kitchen Red, a wonderful site devoted to Instant Pot recipes.  The OG recipe calls for sautéing the vegetables after the curry is cooked in the pot. I like my vegetables on the soft side so I cooked them with the chicken in the Instant Pot. Use your favorite veggies, or whatever is in the fridge. So good and so easy.