How do you feel about Indian food? If you’ve never tried it before, Indian food is relatively unique among various Asian cuisines, with a potent combination of flavors that can range from sweet to very spicy. While Northern and Southern Indian food differ considerably, most of what we know is probably a somewhat Americanized version of Indian food from whatever restaurants are around us (at least, for anyone who isn’t Indian themselves). Perhaps the most famous of these American dishes is chicken tikka masala.
For anyone who doesn’t know, the dish is a creamy and tangy chicken recipe with a tomato base that is absolutely delicious. Although it’s not necessarily the most authentically Indian, it remains one of the most popular Indian dishes in America. So what if we told you that you could make it at home without spending money at a restaurant? That’s right, today we’re making a slow cooker version of chicken tikka masala that needs to be tasted to be believed. So let’s get started.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup of Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons of ginger paste
- 7 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup of tomato paste
- 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 2 teaspoons of garam masala
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of fenugreek leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1/4 cup of roughly chopped cilantro
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
Here’s what you do:
1. To begin, pour your yogurt, ginger, garlic, tomato paste, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, paprika, cinnamon, crushed tomato, salt and pepper. Be sure to stir everything up thoroughly so that it’s evenly combined, paying particular attention to the tomato paste!
2. Next, make sure you prepare your chicken by rinsing it, trimming it and taking the skin off if necessary. When you’re ready, add it to the slow cooker and smear the chicken around in the sauce, smothering it as necessary. Press the chicken down into the sauce when you’re done.
3. With all the ingredients set, cover your slow cooker and set it to cook on low for about three hours.
4. When the time is up, open the slow cooker and check to make sure your chicken thighs are cooked all the way through. If everything looks good mix in your lemon juice and you’re ready to serve! Sprinkle your chopped cilantro on top as well.
As you can see, the process of making this dish really comes down to the combination of spices. In just a few hours, the end result is incredibly tender chicken in a creamy and delicious sauce, with plenty of food to feed the whole family. To complete the experience, be sure to serve with rice and naan as well! While the recipe above is reliable to create a great meal, the fun of these dishes is to experiment with the seasoning. Add more spice as you see fit and adjust the ratios to develop your own flavors—you could even add a little bit of sugar if you’d like to cut some of the acidity. Above all, have fun with the process and let us know how it all turns out.
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