Slow-Cooked Instant Pot Chicken Changezi

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Sep 12

Written By Anadi Misra

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This post is sponsored by Chicken Farmers of Canada. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

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This **Slow-Cooked Instant Pot Chicken Changezi** is sure to be an adored indulgence for dinner! Slow cooking this Chicken Changezi will make the chicken thighs so tender and release incredible flavours - a slow-cooker recipe is included too!

What Is Chicken Changezi?

Chicken Changezi is a dish named after the Mongolian ruler Genghis Khan, known as Changezi Khan by the Indians. India was ruled by the Mughals (Mongolians) in the 14th century under Babur. However, the Mughals brought their cuisine far before this official ruling. The link between Chicken Changezi and Genghis Khan was that Khan was adamant of the spices used - he was sensitive, so his chicken could not be too spicy. As a result, the milk and cream in the dish assisted in cutting down the heat. However, it appears that Genghis Khan never actually reached Delhi, so the exact origins of the dish aren’t entirely clear. Get more information about Chicken Changezi here.

Regardless, Chicken Changezi is popular in North India, particularly in Old Delhi. The chicken is first roasted, and then cooked in a tomato gravy with ginger and garlic, classic Indian spices, milk and cream. It looks similar to the popular butter chicken (or murgh makhani), and while they are both dishes inspired by the Mughals, one key difference between Chicken Changezi and butter chicken is that the former uses ghee, milk and onions, while I state that for butter chicken, onions are a big no-no! Furthermore, the spices are different in the two dishes. Chicken Changezi is a lot less complex than butter chicken. You can enjoy Chicken Changezi with bread such as Homemade Tandoori Naan or Rumali Roti, or it can be enjoyed with rice such as Simple Basmati Rice or Jeera Rice.

I first tried Chicken Changezi in my trip to Delhi back in April this year. My aunt had made it for a family dinner and it was my favourite dish of that was served! I knew I’d have to try it when I got home, and I believe it was one of the first dishes I had cooked upon returning! I first tried it over the stove, but I realized that slow cooking it in the Instant Pot would make it so much better, and I’m happy to share this recipe with you today! If you don’t have an Instant Pot then no worries! I’ll give Crock Pot instructions at the bottom of this post!

Also, if you didn’t know, September is National Chicken Month! If you love chicken like I do, then you definitely need to celebrate with plenty of chicken recipes! I’ve been enjoying lots of chicken recipes lately such as my Open-Faced BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, California Grilled Chicken Burger, and a quick Homestyle Chicken Curry for when I’m in a pinch! If you need chicken recipe inspo, browse tons of my delicious poultry recipes on the blog for plenty of variety! Participate in the Chicken Around The World campaign and share your recipes with Chicken Farmers of Canada by tagging them @chickendotca and be sure to enter their contests in September and October! You can win $850 on Instagram and $5000 on their website, check out the contest here!

If you’re looking for a new Indian Instant Pot recipe, then you’ll love this Chicken Changezi recipe! If Indian cooking is new to you, then this is an excellent place to start! Try this out as part of your Destinations Unseen theme in my Live to Cook one-month challenge! Get this free guide by signing up for my newsletter, and you’ll also get my 5 tips to get you inspired to get creative in the kitchen! Be sure to share your tasty dishes with me by tagging me on Instagram!

To get a visual representation of how to make this Instant Pot Chicken Changezi, watch the video at the bottom of this post! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already, and hit the bell so you receive notifications when my video recipes go live! Let’s get cooking!

Why You’ll Love Instant Pot CHicken Changezi

Juicy and tender chicken
Rich and flavourful
Creamy and luscious gravy
Minimal clean-up
Slow-cooked, so you can get it ready it in the morning and it’ll be ready for dinner
Make-ahead friendly!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Changezi

Let’s see what we need for our Instant Pot Chicken Changezi. All ingredient quantities and the complete instructions are in the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card at the bottom of this post, so be sure to scroll down or press the “Jump to Recipe” button. The recipe card will also let you scale the recipe based on how many chicken thighs you have and how much Chicken Changezi you want to make - all ingredient quantities will automatically be adjust for you!

For the Marinade

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (look for the Chicken Farmer’s of Canada logo for the best quality chicken!)
Tomato paste
Turmeric
salt
Plain yogurt

Spices

Onion Paste

Sauce

Passata
Milk
Cream

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Changezi

In a bowl, combine all chicken, yogurt, tomato paste salt and turmeric. Mix well and marinate for at least 1 1/2 hours.

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Turn Instant Pot to Sauté mode on high and melt ghee over medium high heat.

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Add cumin seeds, hing, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaves, onions, almonds and cashews.

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Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, for about 15-20 minutes. If you only own a slow cooker, sauté these ingredients in a pan or pot over the stove.

Once the oil has separated from the onion mixture, add in the ginger-garlic paste, and the remaining dried spices (deggi mirch, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala); cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Stir often.

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Discard the bay leaf and transfer the spice and onion masala to a blender. Add 1/3 Cup milk to help puree until smooth.

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Add the puree back to the Instant pot or slow cooker. Rinse out the pitcher for the blender and add into the Instant pot or slow cooker. Add chicken along with its marinade to slow cooker and toss with spice mixture.

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Add passata, mix well and set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook mode cook on high until chicken is tender, 3 1/2 hours or on low for 7 hours. Once done, stir and adjust seasoning with salt to taste.

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Add in cream, stir, prepare the garnish by heating ghee in a pan. Once hot, add the slit green chillies and let them sizzle until fragrant.

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Pour over the dish; sprinkle lightly with dried fenugreek leaves and serve.

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Tips & Tricks for Instant Pot Chicken Changezi

Let the whole spices toast for at least 30 seconds or so before you add in onions.
Keep stirring and cooking the onions until they are completely cooked down and golden brown.
Keep an eye out for the oil getting seperated in the onion mixture before adding the powdered spices. Make sure to cook out the rawness of the spices for maximum flavour.
You can easily substitute boneless chicken thighs with bone-in chicken thighs if you prefer.

I Don’t Have an Instant Pot! How Do I make chicken changezi in a crock pot?

You can follow the same set of steps to prepare this dish in a crock pot or slow cooker, except performing the sauté steps on the stovetop in a pan or a pot.

How to store Chicken Changezi

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Because of the chicken and the milk and cream, Instant Pot Chicken Changezi will stay fresh for about 3 days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish.

How to Reheat Chicken Changezi

You can reheat it in the microwave or over the stove. For the microwave, it will take about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir at 30 second intervals to ensure it is evenly warmed through.

To reheat over the stove, get a sauce pan and heat it on medium-low. Bring the gravy to a simmer, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Other Indian Instant Pot Recipes

Watch How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Changezi Here:

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cookingwithanadi. Thank you!

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Instant Pot, one-pot, chicken, poultry, Indian, Indian instant pot, lunch, dinner

Indian

Yield: 6

Author: Anadi

Slow Cooked Instant Pot Chicken Changezi Recipe: Tender, Mild and Delicious!https://youtu.be/DPbv4UDbsroThis Instant Pot chicken changezi recipe is a slow-cooked version of this Indian classic. Learn how to make Instant Pot chicken thighs with this chicken changezi recipe!2022-09-12

Slow-Cooked Instant Pot Chicken Changezi

This Slow-Cooked Instant Pot Chicken Changezi is sure to be an adored indulgence for dinner! Slow cooking this Chicken Changezi will make the chicken thighs so tender and release incredible flavours - a slow-cooker recipe is included too!

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 3 H & 30 MInactive time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 5 H & 20 M

Ingredients

For the marinade

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/4 Cup tomato paste
1/3 Cup plain yogurt
salt
pinch of turmeric

For the sauce

Pinch of hing
2 Tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 green cardamom pods
1 black cardamom pods
2-3 Bay leaves
1 1/2 large onions, sliced
1/4 Cup cashews
1/8 Cup almonds
2 Tbsp g inger-garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala
1 Tbsp Deggi Mirch
1 tsp g round coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of kasoori methi
salt to taste
1/3 Cup milk
1 Cup passata
1 Cup half and half 10% cream

For garnish

1 Tbsp ghee
2-3 green chillies, slit thin lengthwise

Instructions

To prepare chicken changezi

In a bowl, combine the chicken, yogurt, tomato paste salt and turmeric. Mix well and marinate for at least 1 1/2 hours.
Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on high and melt ghee over medium high heat. Add cumin seeds, hing, green cardamom, black cardamom, bay leaves, onions, almonds and cashews. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, for about 15-20 minutes. (if you only own a slow cooker, sauté these ingredients in a pan or pot over the stove).
Once the oil has separated from the onion mixture, add in the ginger-garlic paste, and the remaining dried spices (deggi mirch, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala); cook until fragrant, about two 2 minutes. Stir often.
Discard the bay leaf and transfer the spice and onion masala to a blender. Add 1/3 Cup milk to help puree until smooth.
Add the puree back to the Instant pot or slow cooker. Rinse out the pitcher for the blender and add into the Instant pot or slow cooker. Add chicken along with its marinade to slow cooker and toss with spice mixture.
Add passata, mix well and set the Instant Pot to Slow Cook mode cook on high until chicken is tender, 3 1/2 hours or on low for 7 hours. Once done, stir and adjust seasoning with salt to taste.
Add in cream, stir, prepare the garnish by heating ghee in a pan. Once hot, add the slit green chillies and let them sizzle until fragrant. Pour over the dish; sprinkle lightly with dried fenugreek leaves and serve.