Recipe: Slow Cooker Butter Chicken (crock pot, Indian)

SLOW COOKER BUTTER CHICKEN



"Chicken tikka masala has become an international phenomenon served in Indian restaurants all over the world; it's so beloved in England that it's sometimes referred to as the national dish! The original recipe, known as butter chicken, came from one of the first tandoori restaurants in Delhi, Moti Mahal. Tandoori chicken pieces were added to tomato-cream sauce and served with naan, tandoor-baked flat bread. (Indian grocers and many specialty stores sell frozen naan.)

Here is the simple yet delicious recipe for the makhni (butter sauce). One can then add grilled marinated chicken or even just sauteed pieces of boneless chicken, to make chicken tikka masala. For a vegetarian version, use cubes of seared paneer or sauteed mushrooms."

6 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup half-and-half
1⁄4 teaspoon saffron threads (optional)
2 cans (28 ounces each) cans tomato sauce, preferably without salt
1⁄2 cup water
1 (2 1⁄2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 or 3 serrano chiles, minced
1 1⁄2 teaspoons garam masala, store-bought or homemade
2 tablespoons roasted ground cumin
3⁄4 to 1 teaspoon ground Indian red chile
11⁄4 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
2 heaping tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat the cooker on HIGH and add the butter to melt. This will take about 10 minutes.

Add the cream and half-and-half to the melted butter. Add the saffron and mix well. Add the tomato sauce, then rinse the cans with 1⁄4 cup of water each to get all the sauce; add this to the cooker. Add the ginger, serrano chiles, garam masala, cumin, ground red chile, salt, sugar, and fenugreek, and mix well.

Cover crock pot, reduce heat to LOW, and cook 6 hours. When ready to serve, stir in the chopped cilantro.

Cool any unused sauce to room temperature and store for later use - either in sterilized jars for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or in plastic bags, with all air removed, in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Makes 2 1⁄2 quarts
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Ten Speed Press
Adapted from source: The New Indian Slow Cooker: Recipes for Curries, Dals, Chutneys, Masalas, Biryani, and More by Neela Paniz