Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

We love Indian food and it really is easier to make than one would think. This slow cooker recipe makes it even easier and it tastes fantastic.--Mark

Ingredients  

1 cup basmati rice 

½ cup chicken stock 

1 6-ounce can tomato paste 

2 teaspoons yellow curry powder 

1 teaspoon garam masala 

1 teaspoon ground turmeric 

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks

½ sweet onion, diced 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 

½ cup heavy cream 

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 

1 ½ teaspoons light brown sugar

Directions

In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, tomato paste, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, salt and pepper. 

Place chicken, onion, garlic and ginger into a 4-qt slow cooker. Stir in chicken stock mixture. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours. 

Stir in heavy cream, lime juice and brown sugar; season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Serve immediately with rice.

Indian Spinach and Chickpeas (Chana Saag)

We've made this recipe A LOT and it's great. It's a pretty common side dish for us to make when we do an Indian meal. We've made it so much that the paper I printed it on is grease-stained, wrinkled, and just well worn. It's beyond time it made it here.  --Mark

Ingredients

1 T canola oil

1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 T finely chopped fresh ginger

1 T curry powder

2 tsp garam masala

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 14-1/2 oz can diced tomatoes

Kosher salt

7 oz (7 packed cups) baby spinach

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Instructions

Heat the oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, and cayenne. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, tomatoes, and 1 1/2 tsp salt.

Add the spinach by the handful, stirring to wilt it as you go. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the spinach is completely wilted and the flavors have melded, 4 to 5 minutes more. Season to taste with more salt.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

Spoon onto a platter, and serve with yogurt.

Notes

Fresh tomatoes work well in this recipe. We've also made this with frozen chopped spinach, but fresh is better.

Garam Masala

This is considered the "magic spice" in Indian cooking. So many recipes start with garam masala, and once you make your own, it's easy to see why. It's also a necessary ingredient in homemade curry. It's normally made by toasting spices and then grinding them, but this is a quick mixture that does very well. --Mark

Ingredients

1 T ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions

Mix cumin, coriander, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a bowl. Place mix in an airtight container, and store in a cool, dry place.