Air Fried Whole chicken with an amazing gravy & aromatic ghee rice cooked in the Instant Pot…
Cook show-stopping dishes in the Instant Pot effortlessly. If you are looking for special occasion dishes that can be whipped up easily in the Instant Pot, you gotta try these dishes. Whole chicken marinated with an incredible homemade marinade, pressure cooked & air fried in the Instant pot, along with an amazing onion-tomato-almond-poppy seed-saffron gravy & aromatic ghee rice pressure cooked in the Instant Pot.
Delicious & complete menu for any special occasions.
Cooking Video
Instant Pot Air Fried Whole Chicken With Gravy | Aromatic Ghee rice recipe| Complete Dinner Menu
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Thasneen
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Serves: 5 people
Ingredients
For marinating chicken
- Kashmiri chili powder- 3 tsp
- Chili powder- 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
- Coriander powder- 1½ tbsp
- Garam masala- 1 tsp
- Fennel powder- 1 tsp
- Ground black pepper- ½ tsp
- Salt- 2 tsp
- Lemon juice- 3 tbsp
- Water- ¼ cup
- Oil- 2 tbsp
- Whole chicken- 1.5 kg or 3 lbs
For Cooking Basmati Rice
- Ghee- 2 tbsp
- Onion, sliced- 1
- Salt- 1 tsp
- White basmati rice- 2½ cups
- Chicken broth- 2¾ cups
- To grind
- Garlic, whole- 4
- Ginger- 2 inch slice
- Green chili- 1 or 2
- Whole cardamom- 5
- Whole cloves- 2
- Whole cinnamon- 1 inch slice
For Cooking Gravy
- Oil- 2 tbsp
- Onion, sliced- 4
- Tomato, chopped- 2
- Chili powder- 1 tsp
- Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
- Garam masala- 1 tsp
- Salt- 1 tsp
- Yogurt- ½ cup
- Cilantro, chopped- 2 tbsp
- Mint leaves, chopped- 2 tbsp
- To grind
- Garlic, whole- 4
- Ginger- 2 inch slice
- Green chili- 1 or 2
- Whole cardamom- 5
- Whole cloves- 2
- Whole cinnamon- 1 inch slice
- For making paste
- Whole almonds, skinned- 10
- Poppy seeds- 1 tbsp
- Saffron- ¼ tsp
Instructions
Marinating chicken
- In a bowl, add all the above mentioned ingredients for marinating the chicken. Make into a thick smooth paste.
- I've taken whole chicken,1.5 kg or 3 lbs, skinned & rinsed thoroughly under running water.
- Using a sharp knife, add some lines over the flesh.
- Apply the marinade all over the chicken, inside & out.
- Cover the bowl with a cling wrap.
- Let marinate the whole chicken in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
Cooking Whole chicken in the Instant Pot
- I've first pressure cooked the whole chicken in the Instant Pot & then air fried it.
- I've used Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer model, 8 quarts.
- Add 2 cups water to the stainless steel pot.
- Grease the Instant Pot air fryer basket with oil. Or use a steamer.
- Place the marinated whole chicken, breast side down in the air fryer basket.
- Place the basket onto the water in the stainless steel pot.
- Close with the lid.
- Select pressure cook setting, set time to 20 minutes at high pressure.
- Click start.
- After 20 minutes of pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then do a quick pressure release.
- Open the lid.
- Remove the basket from the pot.
- There will be chicken broth in the stainless steel pot, save that in a bowl & keep covered, will be adding this broth for cooking basmati rice.
- Next, let's air fry the pressure cooked chicken, that will make the chicken crispy & golden brown.
- Place the chicken breast side up in the air fryer basket.
- Place the air fryer basket in the stainless steel pot.
- Note: while air frying, do not add water to the stainless steel pot.
- Close the pot with the air fryer lid.
- If you don't have Instant Pot air fryer, you can grill or broil in the oven at 400 F or 200 C for 15 minutes.
- Select Air fry on the Instant Pot. Set time to 15 minutes at 400 F temperature.
- After 10 minutes of air frying, spread oil over the chicken.
- Continue to air fry for another 5 more minutes.
- After 15 minutes of air frying, open the lid.
- Wear a mitten, remove the air fryer basket from the stainless steel pot.
- Cover with aluminum foil & keep aside.
Cooking Ghee Rice
- In a bowl, soak basmati rice in 3 cups water for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, drain the water, take the rice in a strainer & rinse under running water.
- Firstly, coarsely grind the garlic, ginger, green chili, cardamom, cloves & cinnamon. Keep aside.
- Select Saute setting, at medium temperature.
- Add ghee.
- Add the coarsely ground mixture, saute for a minute.
- Add sliced onion, season with salt. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the soaked rinsed basmati rice, saute for a minute.
- Add the chicken broth.
- In the Instant Pot, for 2½ cups basmati rice, 2¾ cups broth or water has to be added for pressure cooking.
- Close the pot with the lid.
- Select pressure cook, time 6 minutes at high pressure.
- After 6 minutes of pressure cooking, do a quick pressure release.
- Open the lid, perfectly cooked fluffy rice.
- Cover the pot with the lid & keep aside.
Cooking Gravy for Whole chicken
- Firstly, coarsely grind garlic, ginger, green chili, cardamom, cloves & cinnamon. Keep aside.
- Also, grind almonds, poppy seeds & saffron along with water to a paste; keep aside.
- Select Saute setting on the Instant Pot.
- Let the stainless steel pot turn hot.
- Add oil.
- Add onion, season with salt; saute for a few minutes till onion turn translucent.
- Add the ground mixture, saute for 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, saute for a few minutes till tomatoes turn mashed up.
- If the stainless steel pot is turning brown, add a few tablespoons water, combine well & continue cooking onion & tomatoes.
- Add chili powder, coriander powder & garam masala; combine well.
- Add the ground almonds, poppy seeds, saffron. Combine well, saute for 3 minutes.
- Take yogurt in a bowl, using a spoon combine well.
- Add yogurt, combine well. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Finally, add cilantro & mint leaves, cook for a minute.
- Remove the pot from the main pot & keep covered.
Assembling
- On a large plate, spread the gravy.
- Place the whole chicken on the gravy.
- Garnish with chicken with sliced onions, tomatoes & lemon wedges.
- In another bowl, serve the ghee rice.
- Sides: salad & raita- yogurt combine with sliced onions, tomatoes, mint leaves & salt.
- Before serving, carve the whole chicken.
- Place the chicken pieces on a plate, top with gravy, serve along with ghee rice, salad & raita. YUM!
