In Guadeloupe we noticed that Colombo Poulet was on almost every menu. I was intrigued by this dish. Then, at the market in Sainte Anne I saw the spice for sale in bulk. I decided to buy some and give it a try. However, I couldn’t find a recipe for the instant pot and didn’t relish boiling something on the stovetop for 45 minutes. As you probably know by now I am adverse to adding heat to the cabin if it can be helped. So I took an online recipe and adapted it for the instant pot. We were very pleased with the results. Thus, I thought I would share the modified recipe with you. If you don’t have an instant pot, I have included the link for cooking the savory dish on the stovetop.
I used 8 chicken thighs in the recipe as well as some frozen vegetables, because believe it or not, there was not one single fresh potatoes or carrot at the store! Nevertheless, the stew turned out good and we thought the Colombo spice was delightful! It was a type of curry sauce that originated from Sir Lanka but has made its way to the Caribbean. Most recipes say to serve the stew over rice, but since this recipe had potatoes, we chose not to add rice. It really wasn’t necessary, but rice is an option.
So if you run across some Colombo spice or would enjoy making your own (see bottom of recipe). Cook up a pot of this stew and enjoy the aroma and taste!
Instant Pot Chicken Colombo
Ingredients
- 1 chicken, about 4 lb, skin removed and cut into 8 pieces
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp chopped chili pepper (optional)
- 4-6 Tbsl ground Colombo powder, divided
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 carrots cut into 1-inch slices
- 1 zucchini, cubed into 1-inch slices (optional)
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ¼ c chicken broth/wine
- 1 can (10 oz) coconut milk
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper
Preparation
- Coat the chicken in the Colombo spice (2-4 Tbls) and salt and pepper. Put instant pot on Sauté and brown the chicken in 2 Tbl oil. Set aside on a plate.
- Add 2 Tbls more of oil in the pot and sauté to soften the onion and garlic with the pepper (if using) and 1Tbl Colombo powder. You may need to add ¼ c chicken broth or wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Be sure ALL particles are unstuck before next step.
- Return the chicken to the pot. Add coconut milk, green onions and lime juice. Cook for 10 minutes and natural release for 10 min. Then release rest of steam.
- Meanwhile cut up potatoes, carrots and zucchini, and coat with 2 Tbls Colombo and salt and pepper.
- After chicken is cooked, take off lid and add in vegetables. Cook for 2 more minutes and natural release for 4 minutes. Then release rest of steam.
- Serve with rice, if desired, but not necessary.
Note:
Other vegetables can be substituted, and frozen vegetables work fine too. I couldn’t find any carrots or potatoes at the grocery. I used a medley of frozen potatoes, mushrooms and green beans as well as some frozen carrots. It turned out great!
Adapted from:
Note from Ricardo:
To make your own Colombo powder, combine: 4 tsp of curry powder, 1 tsp of ground mustard, 1 tsp of dried oregano, ½ tsp of ground aniseeds (or fennel seeds), and ½ tsp of allspice.
