This Kashmiri Rista – Instant Pot Chicken Meatball Curry is smeared in the most amazing rich and creamy gravy. The meatballs are packed with such an appetizing flavor. Whether you’re serving adults or a family-friendly crew, this dish is a flawless crowd pleaser.
What is Kashmiri Rista?
So Kashmiri Rista is traditionally made from minced lamb. The lamb is manually pounded with a wooden hammer (goshpare) over a stone block. Pounding the minced lamb over and over again results in extremely fine lamb that when cooked is extremely tender. Balls are then made with the minced meat by adding several spices. Meatballs are then cooked in a curry with several spices.
Rista is part of a traditional Kashmiri feast, known as the “Wazwan”. In the Kashmiri language, waz means cook and wan means shop.
How are we going to make this recipe?
If you have been following my blog, you probably know by now, my cooking is about making quick and easy dishes. I try to simplify the long steps and replicate the recipes fast thanks to the instant pot/electric pressure cooker. This is my attempt to make a healthy, easy, quick version of Kashmiri Rista using minced chicken. I have used 1 pound ground chicken breast here. You can use any brand.
For the meatballs:
Firstly puree/blend: 1/4 onion, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and 1 serrano pepper in a blender to make a fine paste.
Secondly, Add the blended paste to the ground chicken.
Also add in ½ tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, 1 tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground fennel, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1 tsp salt. Further add in 1 tbsp chickpea flour, 1 tbsp oil and mix well. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape if rolled into meatballs. I made 10 large meatballs, with 1-pound minced chicken.
For the curry:
Blend ½ onion, 2 tomatoes, ¼ cup cilantro and 3 serrano peppers in a blender. Set aside.
Cook:
First, select sauté on the Instant Pot and adjust to normal. Next, add oil to the pot. Moreover, when the oil is hot add in cumin seeds, 1 cinnamon stick, whole black cardamom pods, green cardamom pods, and cloves.
In about 30 seconds, add in Kashmiri chili powder and ¼ cup water. Stir well. Next, in about 60 seconds add in ground fennel, ground ginger, ground cumin, ground turmeric, ginger garlic paste, salt and garam masala. Stir and mix well.
Additionally, add in the blended tomato, onion, cilantro and serrano peppers blend. Let the curry sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until the oil leaves the sides.
Add in ½ cup water. Finally, gently add in the meatballs.
And, press cancel. Close the lid and select manual/high pressure for 8 minutes. Finally, when done let the pressure release naturally. If you like it to be less soupy you can select sauté and bring it to the desired consistency.
Tried this recipe yet? Give us a rating, comment below in the reply section and let us know what you think.
Try some of our other recipes:
Instant Pot Phirni/ Firni -Instant Pot Indian Rice Pudding
Kashmiri Lotus Stem Curry – Instant Pot Kashmiri Nadru
Kashmiri Haak Aloo – Instant Pot Kale and Potato Curry
Kashmiri Rista – Instant Pot Chicken Meatball Curry
Equipment
- Electric Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/4 onion, small (1/2 cup chopped)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (dhaniya ke patte)
- 1 serrano pepper, small (hari mirch)
- 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric (haldi)
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (sonth)
- 1 tsp ground fennel (saunf powder)
- 1 tsp ground cumin (jeera powder)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp chickpea flour (gram flour/besan)
- 1 tbsp oil of choice
For the Curry
- 6 tbsp oil of choice
- 1/2 onion, small (3/4 cup chopped)
- 2 tomatoes, large
- 3 serrano peppers, small (hari mirch)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, fresh (dhaniya ke patte)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 cinnamon stick 2 inch piece (dalchini)
- 2 whole black cardamom pods (kali elaichi)
- 2 whole green cardamom pod (hari elaichi)
- 4 cloves (laung)
- 2 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- 3/4 cup water (divided)
- 1 tbsp ground fennel (saunf powder)
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger (sonth)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (haldi)
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- Firstly puree/blend: 1/4 onion (1/2 cup), ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves and 1 serrano pepper in a blender to make a fine paste.
- Add the blended paste to the ground chicken.
- Add in ½ tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, 1 tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cumin, and 1 tsp salt to the ground chicken. Further add in 1 tbsp chickpea flour, 1 tbsp oil and mix well. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape if rolled into meatballs. Make about 10 large meatballs.
For the Curry
- Blend ½ onion, 2 tomatoes, ¼ cup cilantro and 3 serrano peppers in a blender. Set aside.
To Cook
- Select sauté on the Instant Pot and adjust to normal. Next, add 6 tbsp oil to the pot. Moreover, when the oil is hot add in 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 whole black cardamom pods, 2 green cardamom pods, and 4 cloves.
- In about 30 seconds, add in 2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder and ¼ cup water. Stir well.
- Next, in about 60 seconds add in 1 tbsp ground fennel, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp garam masala. Stir and mix well.
- Additionally, add in the blended tomato, onion, cilantro and serrano peppers blend. Let the curry sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until oil leaves the sides.
- Add in ½ cup water, stir well. Finally, gently add in the meatballs.
- Press cancel. Close the lid and select manual/high pressure for 8 minutes. Finally, when done let the pressure release naturally. If you like it to be less soupy you can select sauté and bring it to the desired consistency.
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with rice.
Notes
- Kashmiri food contains a lot of oil. I have used 6 tablespoons oil here. Normally this dish has oil floating on the top. You can add more if you desire.
- Traditionally, after the balls are made, they are deep-fried. I have eliminated that step to make a healthier and fast version. Please feel free to deep fry the chicken balls if you want to, and follow the same steps after.
- The whole spices (cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, can be discarded, they don’t need to be consumed).
Too good.