Totally Not Authentic But Super Delicious Instant Pot Red Coconut Curry Noodles
These Instant Pot red coconut curry noodles are incredible and easy! Everything, including the noodles, cooks in the Instant Pot.
Can I politely request no lectures (or hate mail) about how I messed up the authenticity of delicious red coconut curry noodles with this Instant Pot version?
I’m not trying to sound uncaring, but the truth is, I’m already aware of this fact. And I’m totally ok with it, because these totally not authentic red coconut curry noodles are so, so, so good.
And SO easy, thanks to the electric pressure cooker cooking everything (even the noodles!) in just a few minutes.
You’re either in the camp of getting a delicious coconut curry fix with a few shortcuts, or you’re not. And I totally am.
Coconut Curry for life
My love for coconut curry dishes runs deep. Can we take a quick moment to highlight the crazy amount of coconut curry recipes on my site? All of them favorites.
- Red Coconut Curry Noodles
- Coconut Chicken Curry
- Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
- Shrimp Stir Fry with Snow Peas and Coconut Curry Sauce
- Coconut Shrimp Curry
- Thai Mango Chicken Red Curry
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Coconut Curry
- Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry Soup
- Coconut Curry Soup
- Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Pork
So why would I need another coconut curry recipe? Well, first of all, not all of these are red coconut curry recipes and second of all, none of them are Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker red coconut curry recipes.
I love the simpleness of this recipe, how ridiculously fast it is, and how it fits perfectly into so many different diets (meatless, dairy-free, etc).
I took the basics from this favorite red coconut curry noodles recipe and adapted it to the Instant Pot.
What kind of noodles
I didn’t have rice noodles, nor does my local grocery store carry them, so I opted for good old-fashioned fettuccine noodles. They hold up really well in the pressure cooker and are perfect in this recipe.
Feel free to experiment with other types of noodles.
Just like we learned from this Instant Pot spaghetti recipe, it’s important to break the noodles in half and crisscross them on top of each other in alternating layers, without stirring, in order for them to cook without clumping.
I pour half of the broth in the bottom of the pressure cooker, followed by the crisscrossed noodles, and then add the remaining broth.
Coconut Curry Sauce
The red coconut curry sauce is simple:
- coconut milk
- ginger (I use fresh ginger grated on a microplane, no need to peel OR ginger paste)
- garlic
- red curry paste (I usually have Thai Kitchen brand on hand – you can add more or less depending on the heat level you are after)
- sweet Thai chili sauce (I use Mae Ploy brand)
- salt
Pour the sauce on top of the noodles. Again, do not stir!
Secure the lid, set the valve to seal, hit the “pressure cook” or “manual” button, depending on the make and model of pressure cooker you have, and let it go to work.
I recognize the irony of posting a recipe titled “Instant Pot” when this is actually a Mealthy pressure cooker in the photos. I’m just going with the trend that “Instant Pot” has become synonymous with all electric pressure cookers (kind of like “Kleenex” and “bandaids”).
Anyone else following that logic? Also sidenote: I really, really like the Mealthy pressure cooker. I have real, live Instant Pots, too (6- and 8-quart), and I think I like the Mealthy one best of all. Totally not sponsored, just my two cents.
Once the cooking time has finished, quick release the pressure (if liquid spurts through the valve, close it and try again in a few minutes).
The noodles will seem a bit liquidy. That’s good! It’s what you want. That liquid will continue to absorb as the noodles sit (and veggies cook), and it is what creates the delectable red coconut curry sauce.
Throw in all the vegetables you want to use and put the lid back on. Let the noodles and veggies sit for another 5-10 minutes until the vegetables soften just a bit.
I like a bit of crunch to them still. No mush.
Vegetable Options
I like to use snow peas, red peppers and carrots in this Instant Pot red coconut curry recipe, but you could change up the veggies a million and one ways.
I’m thinking: zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, shelled peas, asparagus, spinach…
Also, don’t be afraid to increase the vegetables as you deem necessary! This batch of noodles could easily accommodate double the veggies. Yum.
The longer the noodles and vegetables sit, the more the sauce absorbs, so this is definitely one of those dishes best served right away.
I mean, I still devoured the leftovers like nobody’s business, but the noodles are definitely not as saucy the next day.
If you are a lover of all things coconut curry – especially red coconut curry – I really hope you love this Instant Pot version.
It’s a fabulous, quick weeknight meal (or lunch!) that totally fulfills the curry noodle craving…even if it isn’t straight up 100% authentic.
Without a doubt, these Instant Pot red coconut curry noodles fall into the category of meals I could eat every day for the rest of forever.
So flavorful, so interesting, so easy, so amazing.
One Year Ago: Quick and Easy Egg Roll Skillet Meal
Two Years Ago: One-Bowl Fudgy Brownie Cookies
Three Years Ago: Double Chocolate Mousse Torte
Four Years Ago: Truffle Brownies {With M&M’s…or Not}
Five Years Ago: Beef and Sweet Potato Stew with Corn and Green Chiles {Slow Cooker}
Six Years Ago: Butternut Squash and Coconut Curry Soup with Shrimp and Rice Noodles
Seven Years Ago: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos
Eight Years Ago: Broccoli Beef
Instant Pot Red Coconut Curry Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 16 ounces fettuccine noodles, broken in half
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk, light or regular
- ¼ cup sweet Thai chili sauce (see note)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger or ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon red curry paste (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
- 1 cup snow peas, halved or whole
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced into strips
- 1 cup small diced carrots or matchstick carrots
- Fresh, chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Pour two cups of the broth into the bottom of the electric pressure cooker. Layer the noodles on top of each other in 5-6 layers, alternating directions (see picture in the post for a visual) so they don’t clump together while cooking.
- Pour in the remaining two cups broth.
- Whisk together the coconut milk, Thai chili sauce, fresh ginger, red curry paste, garlic and salt. Pour this mixture into the pressure cooker. Do not stir.
- Secure the lid, set the valve to seal, and set the pressure cooker to cook on high pressure for 4-5 minutes. (The exact time will depend on the brand of noodles – take the al dente cooking time, cut it in half and subtract another 1-2 minutes.)
- Quick release the pressure. If liquid spurts through the valve, close the valve and wait 5 minutes before trying again. It’s ok if there is remaining liquid in the bottom of the pressure cooker – it will continue to absorb into the noodles for perfect sauciness.
- Give the noodles a good toss with tongs and add the vegetables. Close the pressure cooker and let sit for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables steam in the residual heat. Toss until combined. Add additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- Serve the noodles with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro, if desired.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
I’ve had this recipe printed for months and haven’t had the occasion to make it. Happily I finally made it a week ago and now I’ve already made it twice. My kids asked for it for lunch again. Followed the recipe precisely once, then successfully made a half batch the next time (more appropriate for our needs). 5 stars! I’ll be making it on repeat, I can already tell. My 10 year old said it’s the perfect amount of curry–you know it’s there but it doesn’t overwhelm. Quite the connoisseur, that one. 😉
No offense to this recipe but this is a warning to those who didn’t realize like I wish I had, replacing the fettuccine with rice noodles is a big mistake in the instant pot (I realize the cook time is significantly shorter, but even one minute was too much cook time). They turned to mush. I may make it again using fettuccine but I do think it needs a lot more flavor punch. I would double the seasonings/curry paste.
I just finished off the leftovers tonight – Just as delicious the second day!
Thanks for this wonderful, meatless meal!
Absolutely DELICIOUS
My Barilla fettuccine noodles were definitely not done at 4 minutes, so I turned on the saute function. I think 5 or possibly 6 minutes for that particular brand. Thanks for the great recipe, Mel!!
There was quite a bit of liquid left after letting the veggies steam. I feel like I either did something wrong or don’t understand how saucy it is supposed to be when all is said and done. Any insights? I would love to have more absorption as I know it will make the noodles more flavorful!
Hey Alison – it is pretty saucy after it cooks, but after being tossed and as it sits, it should absorb some of that liquid? If you want to make it again, you can try cutting the broth down to 3 cups.
I don’t have an instant pot so I adjusted this a bit. I cooked my veggies in a skillet while I boiled the pasta in the broth. I added the sauce ingredients to the veggies and then added my noodles with a ladle full of the broth (same broth that cooked the pasta). My kids really enjoyed this. I like to add tofu. I used 1/2 tsp ground ginger powder when I didn’t have fresh ginger on hand.
Tried this recipe for the first time, but wanted rice noodles. I kept all quantities the same, but substituted pad thai noodles for the fettuccine, and set the instant pot to 2 minutes. The only thing I would have changed would be to only do 8 oz of rice noodles, to maintain a little sauciness. The recipe itself is perfection!
This was fantastic! I’m pretty new to using the Instant Pot. Could I double this recipe or would I need to adjust the timing?
The time should stay the same for a double batch.
This dish was so delicious I can’t wait for lunch tomorrow to eat the leftovers! Next time I think I’ll throw in some chicken to add some protein or serve it on the side but it was so good!
Yeah it seems like you have another recipe for red coconut curry noodles that got copied to this one… Because this recipe doesn’t use the instant pot, there is no mention of snow peas or sugar snap peas, it’s the wrong noodles, etc. I totally love the original recipe and want it back!
Did you recently change this recipe? I’ve made this a zillion times but it has never had chicken in it and the order of operations was completely different. Plus I’ve always used different noodles… I’m so confused…
I’m glad you commented, Nicole – all the recipes on my site are getting updated to a new format and it looks like the wrong coconut curry recipe got inserted here. I’ll change it out for the right one. Sorry about that!
I tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious- the only problem was our vegetables didn’t get tender. I wasn’t able to do the second pressure cook cycle it wouldn’t get up to pressure. It kept giving me a burn notice. I stirred the noodles and sauce in between – is there a way to better avoid this? It was a win for my husband that likes more crisp veggies- not so much for me. lol but so yummy!
Hi Lauren, for more tender noodles, you can try the steam function on your pressure cooker (if it has one), cut the vegetables smaller, or precook them in a bit of water in the microwave first before adding. 🙂
Hey aunt Mel! This is Kennedy, I made this on Sunday for the fam, and everybody loved it! It was so good!
Hey Kennedy!! So fun to see your comment! Way to go on making this for dinner. You are a rock star – I’m so proud of you!
Made this on the stovetop one-pot-pasta style – boiled everything other than the veg for half the pasta cook time stirring often, then added the veg for the last few minutes. Very tasty, and a good “use all the veg odds and ends” recipe.
Any idea of the calories per serving?
I don’t have that info calculated yet, but I will soon when I update my website.
I know this goes against all things authentically Thai, but does anyone know of a suitable substitute for coconut milk? I love Asian style noodles, but strongly dislike coconut milk.
I’ve made this recipe many times, tried many different brands of noodles and no matter the brand or how much I layer and separate the noodles, it always stuck and clumped together. I finally tried linguini and it was a win! I would give it 5 stars, even more, when the noodles work out but I don’t know why I can’t get fettuccini to work. So if you have the same problem, try linguini. We love this as a meatless meal but I want to try it with shrimp….
My whole family ate this tonight, no complaints. Everyone from my husband to the two year old. That is a roaring success. The only changes I made were that I added chicken (one breast chopped into small pieces that I sautéed for a few minutes, next time I’ll add more chicken). Also frozen broccoli & cauliflower blend at the end because that’s what I had (defrosted and chopped). Oh and a spoonful of peanut butter at the end because it was suggested and sounded great. Don’t forget the chopped peanuts, cilantro and lime. I like fettuccine because it’s a sturdy noodle and doesn’t break apart like rice noodles. Much better for leftovers. If you have any. This will be a weeknight staple now that I have an IP. Thanks Mel!