Cooking Malaysian Chicken Curry using Instant pot is so much easier and faster.

Lets talk about Curry!

Needless to say, we, Malaysians love our curries.

There are many type of curries in Malaysian food scene.

Just to paint curry perfect picture for you, in Malaysia, we have fish curry, dried fish curry, crab curry, prawn curry, pineapple dry curry, young jack fruit curry, curry with young banana, beef curry, vegetables curry and the most loved chicken curry.

Talking about chicken curry, also known as Kari Ayam, again we have varieties of chicken curry.



Almost each states in Malaysia will have their own version of curry chicken.
Devils chicken curry, Nyonya chicken curry, Kari Kapitan (Captain's curry), Penang chicken curry (Muslim Indian food vendor).
 
I am introducing Kari Ayam (chicken curry) from my hometown.

Our kari ayam / chicken curry has a touch of south Indian cooking, with coconut milk, ginger, onion, garlic and the spices used.
Not surprising as our earlier Indian settlers to Malaya were from south India (including my late father's side of family).
 
 

Is Malaysian chicken curry spicy?

Don't be alarmed!!!
Malaysian chicken curry uses pre-mix curry powder.

I used Baba's meat curry powder but there few other curry powder that I used as well, like Alagappa or Adabi.

The spiciness is very much depending on the mix and how much curry powder one put in making the curry.

How To Cook Chicken Curry | Kari Ayam in Instant Pot?

I usually cook my chicken curry on the stove, since I bought Instant pot during black Friday sale last November, so why not make full use of it, right? ;P

I have been experimenting cooking Malaysian food using Instant pot and one of them is my Beef Rendang.
Once of the reasons that I used Instant pot to cook my chicken curry because it is easy and fast (well faster than cooking on the stove top)

Potato and chicken cooked at the same time.

Printable recipe can be found at the end of this post.

1. Blend onion, garlic and ginger

 
 

2. Saute onion and spices
3. Add blended onion

 
 

4. Add Malaysian meat curry powder and chicken thighs
5. Add potatoes, salt and roasted coconut paste.
6. Add light coconut cream and water

 
 
 

7. Start Instant Pot

8. Release pressure and add coconut cream
Serve kari ayam with either steamed rice or roti.

 

Can I cook Malaysian Kari Ayam without Instant Pot?

Definitely you can.

The prep work to cook curry is the same. 
Even the steps from saute to the finishing off cooking curry with coconut cream is the same.

It just takes longer to cook curry on the stove.
Just make sure that the chicken and potatoes are cook through though, especially if you are not using chicken fillets .

Can Chicken Curry be made without coconut milk?

Might not have the same taste but, yes, I have cooked chicken curry sans coconut milk. 
I add fresh milk instead (this was when I was into "healthy" eating phase in  my life!)

My late mother-in-law cooked her curry chicken without coconut milk or milk. 
She added a handful of curry leaves to bring out the flavour.
We dubbed that as her Dry chicken curry.

Video

Other Malaysian Curries

Malaysian Curry Laksa
Penang Beef Curry
Chicken Green Curry
Panang Curry
Nyonya Curry Laksa
Fish curry