Here is a delicious recipe for slow-cooked chicken, with a thick sauce that’s fragrant with a complex blend of spices with ginger and garlic.
I’ve never tried to make curried chicken in the slow-cooker before, but when I tried this, I was very happy with the results. The long cooking time mellows the spice blend, and brings a depth of flavour to the dish that you’ll find very satisfying.
I’ve used boneless frozen chicken breasts which I defrosted before adding to the slow-cooker (you should never put still-frozen meat into the slow-cooker; it takes too long to cook through, and allows bacteria to develop). But this dish would also be successful with a mix of fresh legs, thighs and breast pieces.
The secret to this delicious sauce is your blender or food processor. Many authentic Indian dishes are begun by cooking the meat and spices in oil, then adding a blend of pureed onion, ginger and garlic, which cooks in the pan and becomes the basis for the sauce.
I have not specified adding any hot peppers, because I wanted to show how good a spicy sauce can be without the heat. If you want some heat, add cayenne pepper to taste with the other ground spices.
If you don’t have potatoes or green beans to put in with the food, add vegetables you do have and like. This dish would also be wonderful with sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, any kind of squash, cauliflower, peas or eggplant.
This is a perfect one-dish meal, but you can also serve it with rice or one of the excellent Indian or pita breads available in the supermarket. A salad with sliced cucumber, dressed with a simple squeeze of lime or lemon juice, would be a good side dish.
During the fall and winter months, we offer a recipe made in the slow-cooker once a month, on the first Wednesday. It takes less than half an hour to prepare and cooks away all day in the slow-cooker, providing a welcome meal at the end of a long, cold day.
ldamato@therecord.com
Enough fresh chicken pieces for four people, whichever part you prefer
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 piece fresh ginger, about the size of a walnut, coarsely chopped
Half a cup (125 ml) water
1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground cumin
1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground coriander
Half a teaspoon (2 ml) ground turmeric
A quarter-teaspoon (1 ml) of ground cinnamon
Ground cayenne pepper to taste
One and a half cups (375 ml) canned tomatoes, chopped, with juice
Water
Four cups (1 litre) other vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used potatoes and green beans, but see list above of other suitable vegetables)
Chopped fresh coriander for garnish
1. Fry the chicken pieces in the oil on medium-high heat until pieces are browned on each side.
2. While the chicken is frying, put the onion, garlic and ginger into a blender or food processor with the half-cup of water and process until everything is a smooth paste (It might be watery; this does not matter)
3. When chicken is brown, add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and optional cayenne pepper to the pan and stir to blend the spices with the oil. Turn the heat to medium and fry the spices gently for a moment or two. Then add the ginger-garlic-onion mixture and stir while it bubbles up. Stir and cook until the mixture is a thick coating on the bottom of the pan and the chicken is well coated with the mixture.
4. Add the tomatoes and their juice, stir briskly and empty everything into the slow-cooker. Add enough water so that the liquid comes about halfway up the chicken pieces. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours or High for 4 to 6 hours.
5. When you’re ready to serve, take out the chicken and vegetables and put on a serving dish. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the food without spilling onto the plate; if your sauce is too thin, thicken it by boiling in a frying pan for a minute or two before spreading it on top. Serve garnished with chopped fresh coriander.
Makes 4 servings.
ldamato@therecord.com