Recipe: Chicken Curry (crock pot)

CHICKEN CURRY
Source: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Beth Hensperger
Servings: 4 to 6

With our love of the slow cooker and ethnic cuisines, we were inspired cook this fabulous curry. You may skip the step of browning the chicken if you wish and just layer it in the cooker raw. If you like your curry creamy, add cup of whole-milk or low-fat yogurt (don't use nonfat) with the peas during the last half hour of cooking. Serve this over steamed basmati rice.

COOKER: Medium or large round or oval
SETTINGS AND COOK TIMES: HIGH for 1 hour, then LOW for 4 to 4 1/2 hours; peas added during last 30 minutes

2 to 3 pounds mixed boneless chicken breast halves and thighs, breast halves each cut into 2 pieces
3 tablespoons sesame or olive oil
3 medium-size onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed; or 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets, and stems discarded
1 cup frozen petite peas, thawed; or 2 to 3 cups fresh baby spinach
Salt to taste

Coat the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut chicken thighs into large or small pieces, removing the skin (leave the skin on the breast pieces).

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on all sides; transfer to a plate.

Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic or chiles. coriander, turmeric, cumin, ginger, paprika, red pepper flakes, and mustard seeds and cook gently for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the tomatoes and lemon juice and mix well. Puree half of the tomato-onion mixture in a blender or food processor or in the pan with a handheld immersion blender.

In layers add to the slow cooker one-third of the chicken (dark meat first) and one- quarter of the sauce, and sprinkle with one-third of the cauliflower, Repeat the layers two more times, and finish with the remainder of the sauce.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour.

Turn the cooker to LOW and cook for 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

During the last 30 minutes, toss in some peas or a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach, season with the salt, cover, and cook until tender. To cook a bit faster, switch to HIGH heat.