Foodstuff: International Flair

As we slowly but surely emerge from cozy cooking weather, I like to get in a few elaborate comfort meals that take all day and are worth the effort.

One of these is my annual Indian Feast, which I only do once a year because I remember what a process it is. Seriously, I start cooking at 1:30 p.m. The good news is that it yields a ton of delicious leftovers that freeze and reheat well. My personal favorite is a combination of (the very basic, don’t come at me) chicken tikka masala and saag paneer, with a side of basmati rice and naan. This week, we’ll talk about the chicken, and the next installment of Foodstuff will cover the spinach and cheese.

This slow cooker version of chicken tikka masala from the online cooking resource, “The Kitchn,” is bulletproof and a crowd-pleaser every time. I stray very little from the recipe as written.

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SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

Serves 4-6
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup whole-milk plain yogurt (not Greek)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
Yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1T peeled and minced fresh ginger
2t ground coriander
2t garam masala
1t ground cumin
1t ground turmeric
2T tomato paste
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
3/4c heavy cream or coconut milk
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Cooked rice or naan, for serving

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Place the chicken, yogurt, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, and stir to combine.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about eight* minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the tomato paste, and cook until darkened in color, about one minute. Add the drained tomatoes and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer to the slow cooker, and stir to combine with the chicken.

Cover and cook on the HIGH setting for four hours or the LOW setting for eight hours. Stir in the cream or coconut milk. If you prefer a thicker sauce, leave the slow cooker uncovered and cook on the HIGH setting for 30 minutes**. Taste and season with salt as needed. Serve garnished with cilantro with rice and naan.

COOK’S NOTES

* This is the recipe’s suggested timing, but I have never, ever gotten onions as soft as they should be in less than 15 minutes.

** I’ve let this cook uncovered for up to one hour, and it resulted in a sauce that was nice and thick.

The key to this recipe is not to rush it. Let the onions cook down, let the spices meld together, and let the whole thing thicken up in the slow cooker. Better than takeout and worth the time, especially if you don’t experiment with Indian food very often.

Katherine Roberts is a mid-Valley-based writer and marketing professional who is kind of a baby about spicy foods, which is why she sticks to tikka masala. She can be reached via her marketing and communications firm, Carington Creative, at katherine@caringtoncreative.com.