Instant pot chicken shorba is like a warm hug on a chilly day, and it’s my go-to recipe whenever I’m craving some serious comfort food without all the fuss. It’s super simple, totally easy, and downright delicious—a real treat to enjoy with some fluffy rice, warm naan, or soft roti, turning any meal into a cozy homemade feast. The ingredients are pretty basic, and you probably already have them hanging out in your pantry, all set to whip up a comforting meal.
What goes into chicken Shorba
Chicken
I used one whole chicken cut into 16 pieces. Wash and let the chicken sit in a strainer to get rid of all the water. You can also make this curry with boneless chicken, but bone-in chicken is going to give you the most flavor.
Oil
I used about 1/4 cup of oil; you can use olive oil, vegetable oil, or avocado oil. Even ghee will be a great choice to make this curry.
Onion
Peel and slice the onions. Set your instant pot on sauté mode, add oil, and then add the sliced onions. Sauté the onions until soft and translucent before adding the ginger and garlic paste.
Ginger Garlic
Once the onions are translucent, add ginger and garlic paste. I always use a homemade frozen version that I make in advance.
Tomatoes
Roughly chop one large tomato. Once the ginger and garlic paste is slightly brown, add in the chopped tomatoes followed by the spices.
Spices
This chicken curry uses the simplest spices. You’ll need salt, red chili powder, turmeric, cumin, and coriander powder. Now let the masala cook for about 5 minutes. You can choose to grind this mixture for a more homogeneous texture or leave it as it is. Once the oil separates at the sides, add the chicken pieces. Cook the chicken with the masala for 8-10 minutes while stirring often.
Water
If you want a runny shorba, then add water and cover it with a lid for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, release the pressure and garnish with cilantro. You can always adjust the amount of shorba to your liking.
How to serve Instant Pot Chicken shorba
Shorba tastes best with homemade roti or white rice. You can also enjoy this as a soup with some crackers or even a vegetable pulao. If you want to go the extra mile, then make my homemade naan to go along for a rich and delicious meal.
How to save leftovers
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or put them in the freezer for a month. Make sure to reheat properly before serving. In my opinion, chicken tastes best when it’s cooked the same day, but if you don’t mind a slight change in taste, then you can always make it in advance.
What is the size of instant Pot?
I used a 6-quart Instant Pot for this recipe. If you want to double the recipe, then a 6-quart pot will still work, but to make a bigger batch, you’ll need a bigger pot. This recipe can be easily made in a regular pot on the stovetop.
More Recipes to Try
Instant Pot Chicken Shorba
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 large tomato
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili powder Cayenne pepper
- 1/3 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2 cups water or use less
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Peel and slice onions. Wash and chop tomatoes.
- Set Instant Pot to sauté mode and add oil
- Add peeled and sliced onions, cook for about 5 minutes or until translucent
- Now add ginger and garlic paste. Mix and give it a minute.
- Add chopped tomatoes and cook for another minute.
- Now add all of the mentioned spices and keep cooking until oil starts showing up on the side. About 5 minutes
- Now, use a hand blender or regular blender to blend this mixture and transfer it back to the pot.
- Add chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes on saute mode while stirring often
- Now add 2 cups of water (use less if you want a thicker gravy) and pressure cook for 5 minutes. See notes
- If you are using boneless chicken you don’t need to pressure cook. Just cook on the saute mode for another 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy