It has been said that the reason why Indian food is so phenomenal is because, unlike European and American styles of cooking, Indian cooking combines ingredients that do not overlap much with each other in flavor – they cook with flavors that are pretty different from each other. The ingredients that flavor the chicken and potatoes in this Slow-Cooker Indian Butter Chicken are: red onion, Fresno chile, cilantro, garam masala, cinnamon stick, a little butter and heavy cream. There’s no way this can go wrong. Spicy although not hot, we think you’ll enjoy every saucy, rich bite.
Tip: Your boneless, skinless chicken thighs will come out tender in the extreme. If you’d rather avoid a finely shredded texture, don’t handle the chicken much because it will absolutely fall apart with very little effort; pull it out in larger chunks with a serving spoon. We serve ours with basmati rice, but it isn’t necessary and you can absolutely get away with just some grilled naan on the side.
Have your kids help you toss ingredients into the slow-cooker. As you enjoy this dish with those you love, teach them a few things about the ingredients:
- Red potatoes’ skins are full of iron, which helps your blood to oxygenate your body.
- Fresno chilis can help speed up your metabolism a bit, helping you have a healthy weight.
- Cilantro contains vitamin A, which can help prevent cancer.
Let’s learn a few things about India and it’s people:
- India is home of the smallest pigs, which only weigh 10 pounds.
- Hinduism and Buddhism, 2 of the world’s most popular religions, were founded in India.
- The 4th deadliest heat wave in the world killed many Indians in around June, 2015.
From: Slow-Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
- 3 pieces naan bread
- 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 pound baby red-skinned potatoes, halved or quartered if large
- 1 Fresno chile or red jalapeno pepper, halved lengthwise, seeded and sliced
- 1 small bunch cilantro, leaves and tender stems separated, chopped
- 1½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 6)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cinnamon stick (*TAC note: If your stick is more than 2 inches long, cut it down to avoid a predominantly cinnamon flavor)
- 1 15 -ounce can tomato sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt
- Crumble ½ piece naan into coarse crumbs; transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the red onion, potatoes, chile and cilantro stems. Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer over the vegetables and sprinkle with the garam masala, ¾ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Dot with the butter and add the cinnamon stick. Pour the tomato sauce over the top. Cover and cook on low, 7 hours.
- Uncover and switch to the warm setting or turn off. Gently stir in the heavy cream, breaking the chicken into large chunks; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro leaves and season with salt. Serve with the remaining naan.
