I felt like having Thai food at home today and I didn’t want anything too fussy. The only ingredient I didn’t already have was the Thai basil and that was an easy find at my local Asian market. The best thing about this recipe – besides the amazing aroma in the house – is that it makes enough for me to take for lunch the rest of the week.
NOTE: Thai basil has slightly pointier and sturdier leaves than Genovese (Italian or sweet basil) that is used in Italian cooking. It also has purple stems and flowers and has a stronger scent with a little pepperiness on the nose. You can substitute with Italian basil if you don’t have an Asian market nearby, but do try to find it if you can!
I used a recipe from one of my go-to books and only made a few very minor modifications. Original recipe from Patricia Tanumihardja in her book Instant Pot Asian Pressure Cooker Meals: Fast, Fresh & Affordable (Official Instant Pot Cookbook):
#thaibasil #instantpot #chickenandrice
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Instant Pot Duo 6 Quart:
Today’s Ingredients:
¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
3 TB soy sauce
2 TB fish sauce
1 tsp chili paste (sambal oelek in the video)
1 TB vegetable oil
½ cup shallots, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb chicken thigh meat, ¾”-1” cubes
1½ cups jasmine rice, rinsed
1½ cups chicken broth
1–1½ cup quick/small veggies (1 cup frozen peas and handful fresh snow peas in the video)
1½ cups Thai basil, torn
Optional Toppings: chopped scallions, chopped Thai bird chilies, lime wedges/juice, extra basil
Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
2. Heat the Instant Pot on sauté mode and add the oil when the display reads “HOT.” Add the shallots and garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Add the chicken and cook for a few minutes until most of the meat is no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes. Then hit “CANCEL” on the pot.
4. Add the sauce mixture and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Make sure to scrape up any stuck-on bits to prevent getting “BURN” warning later.
5. Add the rice and chicken broth and stir to evenly distribute the ingredients.
6. Lock/seal the lid and cook on manual/high for 4 minutes followed by a 10 minute natural pressure release. Then release any remaining pressure before reopening the lid.
7. Add veggies (peas, snow peas, etc.) and basil leaves and stir for just a minute to combine. Let it sit for just a few minutes to thaw and warm the veggies.
8. Serve with optional toppings – scallions, Thai chilies, lime juice, extra basil.
9. ENJOY!