Weeknight Indian

There are two things in the culinary world that I can't live without; my slow cooker and Indian food.  Well okay, that was horribly cliche and not really true, but you get the point.

Before kids, one of my favorite past times with my husband was to order take out Indian from the local restaurant, grab a bottle of red, and watch episode after episode of LOST.  I can't watch that series now without craving Chicken Tikka Masala.  Indian was also my only craving during my pregnancy with my son which resulted in me Googling restaurants in all of the areas I would be temporarily living in during our 3 month move from Hawaii to Germany.  I had to make sure my ground was covered just in case a late night craving hit.  It came as no surprise that my son gobbled up his plate the first time we went to an Indian buffet when he was a year old.

Last Febuary, I had the great opportunity to take an Indian Cooking Class through Cook Curry.  In a small group,we learned about the 5 main spices of Indian cooking,  experienced a little bit of culture through wedding photos, Bollywood music and movies, and we even got to dress in an authentic Indian saree.   Along with that we  learned first hand the entire process of how to make a delicious meal.  Best of all we got to eat this amazing 3 course meal with new friends and for only about 30euro.

While I have made these recipes a couple of times since taking the class it required me two days of prep (homemade paneer requires a bit of patience and time) and a full day of childcare on my husbands part.  The process was more meticulous and time consuming than I would care for on a typical night.  So while the meal I replicated at home was really really good, I was almost too exhausted to truly enjoy it.  It will take some practice but until it becomes second nature on my part, I've been searching the Internet world for a quick and inexpensive way to get my fix.  Hence the slow cooker.

I am a big fan of the slow cooker.  A friend encouraged me to pull this out of the back of my pantry when I had my son and cooking was the last thing on my mind.  I was able to prep meals within 30 minutes during his nap and be done with it.  An awesome concept for any sleep deprived momma or really busy momma.  When I don't have time, energy, or desire to cook, this is typically how I feed my family.  My favorite site is A Year of Slow Cooking but I've also found some great recipes on Pintrest.  I'm sure it helps that this retro cooking device is coming back in vogue.

Now, I've tried a few Indian recipes in the slow cooker but they've been a bit of a disappointment.  I'm expecting it to be restaurant or semi authentic tasting but it tastes more like the dumb down version it really is.  I was ecstatic to find a recipe that was actually good.   I mean so good that I had to share.  I even whipped a yummy, very easy Indian spiced side dish.  After seeing an episode of Dr. Oz and reading multiple articles on the subject, I wanted to add more turmeric (which is a common ingredient in Indian dishes) to our diet and this was a great opportunity to experiment.  I'll leave the health benefits FAQs to the pros but you can read more on turmeric here. 

So, here is my weeknight Indian Meal.  Grab a bottle of your favorite red, pop in an episode of LOST and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Butter Chicken 

(adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking)

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, chopped

4 inch piece fresh ginger, chopped
4 tbsp butter
15 cardamom pods (sewn together!)
2 tsp curry
1 tsp cayenne pepper 

3 tsp garam masala 

1 can coconut milk
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 T lemon juice
1 cup plain yogurt

Salt to taste

Corn Starch for Thickener if needed

The Directions

Pre Prep: 

Sautee onion, garlic, and ginger in about 2 tbsp olive oil until onions are almost translucent.  Add spices and sautee for about a minute more.  Add coconut milk, lemon juice and tomato paste and stir until smooth.  

Place chicken thighs in bottom of slow cooker and cover with the sauce.  Place in refrigerator over night or cook right away.

Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5.  Tweak spices accordingly, shred chicken with two forks and discard cardamom pods.  Add yogurt and cornstarch if desired 15 minutes before serving.

Turmeric Spiced Veggies

2 tbsp roughly Turmeric 

1/2 container of button mushrooms sliced

1 eggplant, chopped in 1 inch cubes and pre salted

1 zucchini, chopped into 1 inch cubes

small head of cauliflower chopped

2-3 tomatoes

1 15oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

Directions

Begin sauteing mushrooms in olive oil on medium high heat.  In a large bowl, coat zucchini, eggplant, and cauliflower in olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turmeric.  Once mushrooms begin to brown, add prepared veggies.  Cook until tender.  Add chickpeas and tomatoes and heat until warmed.

Serve meal with basmati rice and buttered naan or pita bread.