Thank you for the lovely comments on my post last week about our trip to the Cotswolds! It was fun to write it up and relive a fun weekend in the English countryside.  A reader asked me to write up London so I may try to do that in early 2020.  Can you believe we are almost there?

This week, I am sharing a recipe I have made at least three times this Fall.  I rarely repeat recipes that often which my husband sometimes teases me about.  Remember that thing you made with the thing and the other thing like two years ago?  Anyway, this one I have really enjoyed because we happen to really love Indian style cuisine.  Funny though that there are only two Indian inspired recipes on the blog currently.  First, Chana Masala, the wonderful chickpea dish that is served in a spicy tomato sauce.  Second, a Cherry Tomato and Eggplant Curry which is easy to make and at this time of year you can swap out the eggplant with butternut squash.

Well today, we are adding a third and this recipe came in its original form from this website.  My first attempt at the recipe was good, but I thought there was too much sauce for the 1 1/2 pounds of chicken suggested to serve 4.  So on round 2, I increased the chicken by almost an extra pound which worked nicely.  On both occasions, I kept the chicken thighs whole rather than cutting them into 1 inch pieces as was suggested, thinking they would distinegrate if cut that small before cooking.  The third time I made the recipe, I added some drained chickpeas which I thought would add texture, and wilted a few big handfuls of spinach with the residual heat, both at the end of cooking.

It couldn’t be any easier as most slow-cooker recipes should be.  Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray and then lay a bed of sliced onions on the bottom.  Add the chicken.  Add crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, tomato paste, garlic, ginger, curry powder, honey for a touch of sweetness and a little butter and cook on slow or high, depending on how much time you have.  When it’s finished, you can shred the chicken or take it out of the slow cooker and cut into chunks – your choice – and then return it to nestle in the sauce.  I usually cook mine for 4 or 6 hours and the chicken still has texture which is nice.

The recipe is pretty darn simple and perfect for this time of year when you just need to serve your family something between parties, wrapping and other revelry.  And if you’re like me and love the smell of a curry cooking, this recipe will make you happy.

Tweaks?  Sure!  You can add a little heat with some cayenne if you’d like (maybe 1/4-1/2 teaspoon), and I once added 1 teaspoon of cumin to amp up the flavor.  Throw in some chickpeas and fresh spinach at the end of cooking as I mentioned.  Or even some peas if your family loves them.  And if you have them, the frozen cubes of garlic and ginger that you can buy at Trader Joe’s are perfect for this because they just dissolve into the sauce, imparting all of the flavor.  If you haven’t discovered those, pick up a few next time you’re at TJ’s and keep them in the freezer.  Wonderful especially in marinades!

I hope you make Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala sometime over the holiday.  It could be a fun anchor to a festive Indian inspired feast!

PS – I was thinking that you could possibly double this recipe in the slow cooker, if you cooked it on low that is.

PPS – Not all of you live in my town of Concord, Massachusetts so I wanted to share that next week our town has officially proclaimed it as Little Women week in honor of Greta Gerwig’s new movie adaptation that is in theater’s on Christmas Day.  To celebrate, I am going to reread Little Women, one of my favorite books.  Anyone want to join me?

Until next time…

One Year Ago:  One Pot Spicy Chicken and Rice

Three Years Ago:  Cranberry-Jalapeno Salsa

Five Years Ago:  The Bourbon & Bubbles Cocktail