This chicken shorba recipe delivers a light, mildly spiced, comforting, and nourishing soup in a fraction of the time
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A chicken shorba is an Indian style chicken soup. It is a delicate, clean broth with mild flavour of herbs and spicy making it comforting and satisfying at the same time.
But who has hours to simmer broth? That’s where the trusty pressure cooker steps in. This One-Pot Chicken Shorba is the ultimate fusion of classic Indian flavour and modern convenience.
Why use Pressure Cooker for Shorba?
A traditional shorba relies on slow simmering to extract maximum flavour and nutrients from the chicken bones. The pressure cooker achieves the same deep, rich broth and fall-off-the-bone tenderness in minutes, not hours. It locks in moisture and flavour, making this a truly “one-pot wonder” with minimal cleanup.
You can make it in an instant pot also using the saute and pressure cook mode.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bone-in Chicken with thighs and drumsticks for flavour and juices.
- Chickpea Flour (besan) helps in slightly thickening the soup.
- Aromatics: Onion, Ginger, Garlic, Coriander Stalks.
- Whole Spices: Bay Leaf, Cloves, Cumin, Whole Black Peppercorns.
- Ground Spices: Turmeric, Crushed Pepper, Garam Masala, and Salt
- Milk is a unique addition and trust me it just takes the soup to the next level.
- Carrot gives a naturally sweet taste to the soup.
- Vegetable Oil to sear the chicken.
- Water, Fresh Coriander Leaves, Lemon Juice
How To Make Shorba
1. Sear the Chicken
- Wash and pat dry chicken pieces. Make 2 – 3 cuts in each chicken piece.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add whole spices and saute for 20 seconds.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pot. Sauté on high heat for 5 minutes to slightly sear the outside. The pieces will become pale white.
2. Saute the Aromatics & Flour
- Add the roughly chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and coriander stalks. Sauté until the aroma is released, about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add chickpea flour, and saute for another 2 – 3 minutes.
3. Pressure Cook
- Stir in the turmeric powder, carrot, and salt.
- Pour in the water, ensuring the chicken is submerged. Give a good stir.
- Pressure cook over low heat for 2 whistles or 15 – 20 minutes. The meat should fall off the bone.
4. Final Simmer
- Once the cooking time is complete, manually release the pressure. Open the lid.
- For a clear shorba: Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl, discard the boiled onions/ginger-garlic solids, and return the clear broth to the pot.
- Shred the chicken and add it back to the broth. If you skipped the straining, you can leave the broth as is for a thicker, more rustic soup.
- Add splash of milk, chopped coriander, pinch of garam masala, and crushed pepper. Stir to combine.
- Simmer shorba for a minute. Taste and adjust salt, if necessary.
Serving Suggestion
Serve chicken shorba with a generous squeeze of lemon or lime juice. A sprinkle of freshly crushed black pepper and chopped coriander leaves is also a great addition! Enjoy it as:
- A Comforting Starter: Serve on its own before a meal.
- With Indian Sides: Pair with warm naan, or a bowl of steamed rice or jeera (cumin) rice.
Try it once, and it will surely become your go-to chicken recipe for a satisfying and healthy meal! What’s your favorite thing to serve with shorba? Let me know in the comments below!
Are you a Soup Lover?
Hina’s Tried and True Tips
- Bone-In is Best: Always use bone-in chicken (thighs and drumsticks are ideal) as the bones are what give the shorba its depth, body, and rich flavour. Chicken breast is a big no – no.
- The Power of Stems: Don’t discard the coriander stems! They hold immense flavour that enhances the broth.
- Make it Wholesome: For a heartier meal, you can add diced vegetables like potatoes, or celery along with the water before pressure cooking.
Do you love one pot meals? Then try this flavoursome Chicken Noodle Soup, Indian Chana Saag Curry, or the Chicken Burrito Bowl.
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One Pot Chicken Shorba Recipe
- Seive/Filter
Ingredients
- 500 gram chicken drumstick
- 1 tablespoon vegetable refined oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4 cloves (laung)
- 6 – 8 garlic cloves
- 1 inch ginger, sliced
- 6 coriander stalks, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 medium carrot, cut into rounds
- 2 tablespoon gram flour (besan)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 Cup water, at room temperature
- ⅛ Cup milk at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala (get recipe)
- handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- lemon juice to taste
- crushed black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry chicken pieces. Make 2 – 3 cuts in each chicken piece.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add whole spices and saute for 20 seconds.
- Add the chicken pieces to the pot. Sauté on high heat for 5 minutes to slightly sear the outside. The pieces will become pale white.
- Add the roughly chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and coriander stalks. Sauté until the aroma is released, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add chickpea flour, and saute for another 2 – 3 minutes.
- Stir in the turmeric powder, carrot, and salt.Pour in the water, ensuring the chicken is submerged. Give a good stir. Pressure cook over low heat for 2 whistles or 15 – 20 minutes. The meat should fall off the bone.
- Once the cooking time is complete, manually release the pressure. Open the lid. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl, discard the boiled onions/ginger-garlic solids, and return the clear broth to the pressure cooker. Turn on the lowest heat setting. Add splash of milk, garam masala, chopped coriander, and crushed pepper. Simmer for a minute.
- Shred the chicken and add it back to the broth.
- Serve chicken shorba with a generous squeeze of lemon or lime juice, crushed black pepper and chopped coriander leaves.
Recipe Notes:
- You can add other vegetables also like potato, baby corn, or celery to the shorba.
- After adding milk, do not cook the shorba for too long. Gently simmer only for a few minutes for flavours to meld together.
- Store leftover for a week in an airtight containter in the refrigertor. While reheating add a splash of hot water or chicken stock to get desired consistency.
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