INSTANT POT CULLS CURRY

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This Indian Recipe Serves 3-4

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Instant Pot Culls Curry is my quick & easy way of cutting down the time to make this delicious meal.

Usually on the stove-top, Culls can take up to 3 hours to cook, depending on stove-top & the quality of the chicken, whereas in the Instant Pot, it literally takes only 40 minutes to become soft.

This meal is also referred to South African Indians as fresh chicken or live chicken. This is because the chicken is freshly plucked & cut. It also includes the feet, eggs & other intestines. This popular meal isn’t for the faint-hearted as it is pungent yet so satisfying that your taste-buds will crave more.

The Cornish / Cull or Indian Game is a type of chicken from the area of Cornwall in England. Cornish chickens, and also crosses of Cornish’s, are the most-utilized breed in the chicken meat industry. They are overwhelming, solid feathered creatures that lay brown eggs.

 

Instant Pot Culls Curry Ingredients:

• 1 whole fresh chicken (culls) (±1kg)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tomato
• salt to taste
• 1 onion
• 2 potatoes
• 2 green chilies
• few sprigs of thyme
• 2 teaspoons ginger & garlic paste
• 1 star aniseed
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ teaspoon fennel (soomph) seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon coriander (dhania) powder
• 3 tablespoons chili powder or masala
• 1 teaspoon cardamom (elachi) powder
• 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
• ½ cup freshly chopped coriander (dhania)
• 150 ml boiling water

Method:

1. Firstly, peel & chop the onion.
2. 
3. Rinse & blend the tomato.
4. 
5. Rinse & slit the green chilies.
6. 
7. Peel & cut the potatoes into quarters. This can be done at the very end but you can do this ahead if preferred.
8. 
9. Place the potatoes into a bowl & cover with cold water to prevent them from oxidizing.
10. 
11. The Cornish or Culls usually come pre-packed in tray & include many other parts of the chicken that the usual dressed chicken doesn’t include. These parts include the egg bag, chicken feet, giblets, liver, heart & sometimes the head. I prefer discarding of those parts that I do not consume & you can do the same. I love the chicken feet so I definitely keep that in as well as the egg bags.
12. If you enjoy the eggs, then I suggest rinsing them & setting them aside until it’s time to add them to the curry.
13. 
14. Place the chicken feet on a chopping board. Notice those sharp nails. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut off the ends of each joint, removing the tips.
15. 
16. 
17. Rinse & clean the culls, thereafter, add the feet to the bowl of culls.
18. 
19. Plug in your Instant Pot, the display should read “OFF”.
20. 
21. Press the “SAUTÉ” button the Instant Pot. Press on it again until the heat level is at “NORMAL”. The display should pre-select to 00:30, but it is fine at whichever time because it may be canceled whenever you are done sautéing.
22. 
23. Pour the vegetable oil into the inner stainless steel pot. Add in the onions, slit green chilies & thyme.
24. 
25. Thereafter, add in the star aniseed, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, fennel (soomph) seeds & cumin (jeera) seeds.
26. 
27. Mix well & allow to sauté until the onions are translucent.
28. 
29. Once the onions are translucent, add in turmeric powder, garam masala, cumin (jeera) powder, coriander (dhania) powder, cardamom (elachi) powder, red chili flakes, chili powder/masala & ginger & garlic paste.
30. 
31. Mix well.
32. 
33. Thereafter, add in the culls.
34. 
35. Add salt to taste.
36. 
37. Mix well allowing the culls to coat in the spices.
38. 
39. Cover with a lid & allow the chicken to seal in the spices for 10 minutes. Make sure to give it a stir now & again as you do not want it to burn – also avoid adding any water. I do not have the Instant Pot lid so I used a lid that I had on hand.
40. 
41. After 10 minutes, add in the blended or grated tomatoes, ¼ cup chopped coriander (dhania), curry leaves & pour in the water.
42. 
43. Mix well.
44. 
45. Press “CANCEL” on your Instant Pot.
46. 
47. Secure the lid on the Instant Pot & turn the anti-blockage vent (steam release handle) to “SEALING”.
48. 
49. 
50. Press the “Pressure Cook” button. Press the button again to set the pressure level to “MORE” on the display.
51. 
52. Next, use the “- or +” buttons & set the cooking time to 00:40 (40 minutes). I prefer my culls semi-soft so the times really depend on how soft you want it to be. If you set the time to 50 minutes, the culls will be falling off the bone.
53. 
54. The Instant Pot should display “ON” until the pressure builds up. Once the pressure builds up, the “float valve” will pop up – when it pops up, do not attempt to open the lid! Thereafter, the 40 minute timer will count down on the screen.
55. 
56. After the 40 minutes are over. Press “CANCEL” on your Instant Pot.
57. 
58. 
59. Turn the anti-blockage vent (steam release handle) to “VENTING” & allow the steam to release. Once the “float valve” sinks in, it is safe to open the lid.
60. 
61. Give the curry a mix.
62. 
63. Press the “SAUTÉ” button the Instant Pot. Press on it again until the heat level is at “NORMAL”. The display should pre-select to 00:30, but it is fine at whichever time because it may be canceled whenever you are done sautéing.
64. 
65. Add in the potatoes making sure to discard the water it had been resting in.
66. 
67. Mix well & tuck the potatoes under the gravy.
68. 
69. Cover with a lid & allow the potatoes to cook until almost soft.
70. 
71. When the potatoes are almost soft, add in the eggs.
72. 
73. Gently push the eggs into the gravy & cook until the potatoes are soft as the eggs don’t take long to cook through.
74. 
75. Press “CANCEL” on your Instant Pot, this will turn off the “SAUTÉ” mode.
76. 
77. Empty out into a serving bowl & garnish with freshly chopped coriander (dhania).
78. 
79. Serve this Instant Pot Culls Curry with bread, rice, puris or rotis.
80.