Traditional Chicken Curry (slow cooker)

To make this in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker, halve all the ingredients and proceed with the recipe. A half recipe makes 3 – 5 servings.


 Ingredients

• 3 pounds skinless, chicken parts (boneless can also be used)
  1 large yellow or red onion, peeled and chopped roughly
  2 medium tomatoes, quartered
  1 (4-inch) piece ginger, peeled and chopped roughly
  10 cloves garlic, peeled
  1 tbsp kosher salt
  1 tbsp turmeric powder
  1 tbsp garam masala
  1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
  1 cup plain yogurt (regular, non-fat, or low-fat)
  1 tbsp cayenne (optional)
  1/2 cup dried methi (fenugreek) leaves (optional)
  1 (2-4 inch) cinnamon stick
  4 green cardamom pods or 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
  4 cloves
  4-6 green Thai, serrano, or cayenne chiles, stems removed, halved lengthwise (optional)
  1/4 cup boiling water (optional)
  1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Procedure

1. Put the chicken in the slow cooker. (If the meat was frozen, defrost completely first.)
2. In a food processor (or use your stick blender in its cup), grind the onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic until smooth.
3. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Whisk in the salt, turmeric, garam masala, oil, yogurt, cayenne, and methi (if using). Pour the mixture over the chicken.
4.  Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and green chiles (if using). Mix gently.
5. Cook on low for about eight hours. If you want more broth with your chicken, add the water towards the end of cooking.
6. Remove the whole spices, garnish with cilantro and serve over a bed of basmati rice.

*Methi, or dried Fenugreek leaves are worth tracking down. They add a lot of richness to this dish. They can be found at most Indian grocery stores. If you don’t have them on hand, don’t worry.