Slow-Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

Tired of left-over turkey already??  Then here is answer. Initially, I was put off by all the prep that appeared to go into this recipe. What is a slow-cooker for if I still have to spend quite a bit of time at the stove?  Well, it really wasn't that bad and the result was worth the effort - yummy!  This recipe seemingly serves an army and is full of flavor. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the chicken:

2 – 2 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 cup yogurt (soy yogurt works great as well)

1 tablespoon butter*

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons butter*
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and diced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1-2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 large piece of ginger (2-3 inches in size), minced

3 tablespoons garam masala

1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon sugar

1 whole jalapeno, washed, stem removed and pierced several times with a sharp knife

3/4 cups coconut milk (or half-and-half)

1 ½  teaspoons cornstarch

To Serve (optional):

Hot cooked brown rice  - I prefer peas mixed into mine ;-)

Chopped cilantro

Directions

Mix the coriander and cumin into the yogurt and pour it over the chicken, stir gently until all the pieces are evenly coated. Cover and let marinade for at least 4 hours, but up to two days before proceeding.

Melt 1/2 tablespoon the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Raise the heat to medium high and quickly brown about 1/2 of the chicken. Transfer browned chicken to the slow cooker as it is finished, using another 1/2 tablespoon of butter for the second batch; transfer remained cooked chicken to the slow-cooker. 

Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, then stir. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to lightly brown and start to become translucent.

Stir in the garam masala and ginger and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute) before raising the heat to high and adding the crushed tomatoes and sugar. Stir well, scraping the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Pour the suace over the chicken in the slow-cooker and add the jalapeno pepper.

Cover and cook on LOW for 5 hours, or until the chicken is very tender and shreds easily.

Use a fork or whisk to stir the cornstarch into the coconut milk until smooth. Pour into the slow-cooker and stir gently until the color is even. Replace the lid and let cook for 10 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Serve over hot rice topped with a generous amount of chopped cilantro.

*For those of you that don’t include dairy in your diet you can substitute Earth Balance Buttery Sticks and/or Extra Virgin olive oil in place of the butter. The coconut milk makes up for the richness lost by excluding the butter. 

Adapted from: http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/10/slow-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala/