After 20 months of eating only 15 foods over and over, I was thrilled to expand my diet. It took another 8 months or so for me to really dive into deeper flavors and recipes. This recipe was such a treat for our family with rich flavors, creamy consistency, and some (optional) heat. Better yet, it’s a one pot meal, yay for fewer dishes!!
This recipe is paleo and Whole30 compliant. We serve our curry over cauliflower rice.
I’ve talked about the Instant Pot before (in the baby food pouches post) but it really makes weeknight meals a breeze!! Pressure cookers used to intimidate me but this one has so many safety features that it’s nearly fool proof. I haven’t ever had a meal flop with ours. The time saving it offers with all of the scratch cooking we do is crucial! I have made this Paleo Sweet Potato Chicken Curry on the stove but it takes about an hour to simmer the sweet potatoes and I just don’t have that kind of time very frequently. Once the Instant Pot is up to pressure, it takes 8 minutes to cook then a few additional minutes to simmer the spinach and peas down.
Let’s begin!!
For me, it’s easiest if I have all of my ingredients gathered, especially the spices. This also helps if you’re busy and forgetful and frequently are missing just one thing that your wonderful husband stops at the grocery store for on his way home from work!
Dice your onion and sauté in some oil in the Instant Pot on the Sauté setting until see-through. I use this time to wash, peel, and dice my sweet potatoes. Then add grated ginger and garlic. I love this micro planer for grating ginger! Pour some water in to deglaze the bottom of the pot, making sure you scrape all of the browned bits off for even heating during the pressure cooker setting.
Dump your pre-measured spices into the pot and stir until completely incorporated. For those of you who are corn sensitive or have corn sensitive or allergic kiddos, both Penzey spices and Frontier BULK spices are your best bet. We originally purchased Penzey spices as I hadn’t learned of Frontier, but we prefer Frontier as they’re more affordable and they have nearly every spice in organic, sometimes fair trade certified too. If you don’t need a full pound of oregano, Whole Foods uses Frontier spices in their bulk bins. We actually order all of our spices, after trials, in bulk from Frontier so we have a large stash of mason jars full of spices. We refill our Penzey bottles with the organic spices from Frontier.
Add your tomato sauce, full fat coconut milk, and diced sweet potatoes. Stir until completely mixed. If you’re doing this on the stove, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Then add your chicken thighs and simmer for another 20 minutes or so, turning the thighs midway through. If you’re using an electric pressure cooker, salt and pepper your chicken thighs and nestle them on the top of your sauce in the pot.
Put the lid on your pressure cooker. Set your Instant Pot on manual, high pressure for 8 minutes, make sure your valve is sealed so the pressure can build.
While your dinner is cooking, chop your fresh spinach and clean up from your prep. You won’t have time for much else, it cooks THAT FAST!
When the timer goes off, let it sit for a few minutes and then using a long spoon, release the steam valve. Remove the chicken, stir your chopped spinach and defrosted (or fresh) peas into your curry. Set your Instant Pot to Sauté mode.
Using tongs and a fork, shred the chicken thighs. Add them back to the Instant Pot, stir to incorporate. Heat your cauliflower rice. By now, the spinach should be wilted and the peas should be cooked.
Time to serve!! This meal reheats really well too, yay for leftovers!!
Instant Pot Paleo Sweet Potato Chicken Curry
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 organic sweet, yellow onion, diced
- 1" fresh ginger root, grated
- 4 cloves of garlic, pressed
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 large sweet potatoes (I used two small and one large)
- 1.5 pounds organic boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup organic spinach, diced
- 1/2 cup frozen, organic peas, defrosted
- Cauliflower rice for serving
- Parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Dice your onion.
On the sauté mode on your Instant Pot, sauté the onion in oil until see-through.
Wash, peel, and dice your sweet potatoes.
Add grated ginger and pressed garlic to the onions in the Instant Pot.
Deglaze the bottom of the pot by pouring the water in and scraping the browned bits off the bottom.
Stir in your spices until incorporated.
Add tomato sauce, coconut milk, and sweet potatoes.
Salt and pepper the chicken thighs, nestle them on top of your curry sauce.
Pot the lid on your pot.
Set the Instant Pot to manual, high pressure for 8 minutes, valve sealed.
Chop the spinach and clean up your prep space.
Once the timer has expired, let it sit for a few minutes then using a long handle, release the pressure.
Remove the chicken thighs.
Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add the spinach and peas to the pot.
While you heat your cauliflower rice, shred the chicken with tongs and a fork, put it back in the pot.
Serve curry over cauliflower rice and top with parsley, if desired.
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