In the Kitchen: Crockpot Tikka Masala

I'm a HUGE fan of indian food. Especially in the form a buffet when I can consume copious quantities of a variety of dishes. This recipe is one of my favorites, but even if you haven't tried much indian cuisine or think everything is overly seasoned with curry, be adventurous and give this a try. Trust me, it's different! The longer my husband and I are together, the more adventurous he gets with his eating, but even he, who would never willingly go to an indian restaurant, has this recipe close to the top of his favorites list.

The ingredient list may look daunting, but this recipe is easy and I love the flexibility. When the husband is around, I make it with chicken, vegetables and potatoes and that is how I have shared the recipe below. When it's just me, I typically leave out the meat. You can also make it with just the chicken alone and no vegetables.

Ingredients

1 medium yellow onion, diced

4 - 6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 T fresh ginger, minced

1 (29 oz) can of tomato puree

1 1/2 C plain yogurt

2 T olive oil

2 T garam masala spice mic

1 T (slightly heaped) cumin

1.5 t paprika

2 t salt

1/2 t cinnamon

1 t black pepper

1 t cayenne pepper
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6 skinless chicken tenderloins, cut into large chunks* (optional)

2 -3 potatoes, diced (optional)
2 bay leaves
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1 cup frozen peas (optional)

1 cup chickpeas (drained and rinsed, optional)

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1 cup heavy cream

2 T cornstarch

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chopped fresh cilantro, for topping

Place the first twelve ingredients (thru the spices) into your crockpot and stir to combine. If making with chicken and/or potatoes, add them now (raw) and stir gently to mix in. Add the bay leaves and push down into mixture.

*The chicken will get very soft while cooking and start to shred apart, keeping the raw pieces a bit large than 'bite sized' helps keep them together better. 

Cover and cook for 8 hours on low (or 4 hours on high).

When done, whisk together the cream and corn starch and pour into the crockpot along with the peas and chickpeas and gently stir. Cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve over basmati rice with fresh cilantro and a side of naan and enjoy!

This meal makes a ton of food, but we eat it two or three times over a couple weeks and I freeze the rest. The consistency is a little different after freezing and reheating, but it doesn't affect the taste at all.

> Click here for a printable recipe card