Crock Pot Chicken Masala

I have a love affair with Indian Food... well, the whole Indian culture actually. I remember a time when I thought I didn’t like Indian food. Of course, I hadn't even tried it; it was an opinion I had formed based on an immature palate and spices and smells that were unfamiliar to me.

 

My first experience with Indian food was just a sampling of finger foods that included bhuja (boo-zha) – a trail-mix like snack food, jalebi (juh-lay-bee) – a fried sweet that reminds me of syrup-soaked funnel cake, and samosas (sah-moh-sahs) – a veggie (usually potato, peas, and chilies) stuffed savory pastry. I was hooked! They were all so flavorful and spicy and delicious!

Bujha



Jalebi





Samosas
 



Shortly after tasting those foods I wanted to try others and loved every bit of it…well, maybe not the goat curry ;)

 We had the privilege of actually traveling to India in October of 2010 and I have been on a mission ever since to duplicate the flavors I experienced there. (Not an easy task… I don’t think I have fully accomplished it yet, except for the chai!)  Indian food is all about the spices. If you get the spices right, you’ve got the flavor right. I believe that each dish is a labor of love. Each dish has a process and the longer it cooks the better. Some of the best, most flavorful dishes we enjoyed in India were the ones cooked at home in the kitchen by “Auntie Alice,” our generous host for a portion of the trip, and an AMAZING chicken curry cooked in a large outdoor pot in a small village in Jalandhar (town in Punjab, India). 

  

 

I experiment often with different combinations of spices and different ingredients and once in a while I get it just right. The flavor of this masala… was just right. The smell and the flavor transported me back to Punjab.

 

If I were to make this dish in a pot on the stove, I would only do a few things differently. The flavor of this dish was amazing, but the texture was a little off. (I think it was because the chicken was over-cooked). Stay tuned for that update!

 

 

 

Crock Pot Chicken Masala

3lbs of Chicken (I used 3 breast halves and 3 boneless, skinless thighs)

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

2 medium tomatoes, quartered

1 (4-in.) piece of ginger, peeled and chopped into 1 in. pieces

6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs turmeric

1 Tbs garam masala**

1 Tbs red chile powder

¼ cup oil

¼ cup of dried methi leaves (can substitute cilantro)

1 sm. can of evaporated milk (can substitute regular milk)

1-2 green Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed, halved lengthwise

1. Put the chicken in the crock pot whole. Do not chop the chicken or it will over cook and dry out.

 

2. In a blender or food processor, blend the onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, spices, methi or cilantro, oil and milk until smooth. Poor this mixture over the chicken.

 

3. Add the chilies by sticking the slices down into the chicken and sauce.

 

4.  Cook on low for at least 4-5 hrs. (I left it in the pot for 6 hours because of our schedule and it was still delicious but the chicken got a little dried out). If you want more sauce with the chicken add ½ cup boiling water toward the end of cooking time. Remove the whole chilies if you like.

Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve over basmati rice with roti• or naan.

 

 

• In a pinch, I have used flour tortillas warmed over an open flame on the stove in place of roti. Works great!

 

** Garam Masala is a blend of pre-mixed spices you can buy at any Indian Spice or Sweets store. It’s not something typically found at a grocery store. I believe it’s a necessary component for authentic flavor. Garam Masala is comprised of roasted and ground spices: black pepper, cumin, black cardamom, cassia, clove caraway, mace, clove and ginger.  You can substitute with spices more easily available in grocery stores. Follow this link to Allrecipes.com for an Easy Garam Masala recipe.