Crockpot Daddy: Chicken Tikka Masala

The weather is getting colder and in our house that means time to crank up the crock pot a bit more often. We love Indian food, but if you want to go authentic it is really labor intensive. Don't get me wrong, authentic is awesome. Unfortunately for most people you just don't have the time to toast and grind whole spices before your one-year old breaks your 4'x 6' picture window with a wooden spoon.

Yes. That happened in our neck of the woods.

Tikka Masala is a tomato based curry that delivers Indian food flavors at their finest. Spicy. Sweet. Fruity. Earthy. Hopefully you find this recipe just as tasty if not better than the "real" thing. The unbelievably tender chicken this recipe yields comes from long hours of low and slow cooking and also the time it gives the spices to meld and develop. Never tried Indian food before? Then now is definitely time! If you have never made the leap, it’s likely you have tried the spices it contains in several separate dishes. Indian food combines all those rich spices into one amazing dish. It's OK. You can do it. Go on and excite your taste buds with this flavorful, spice packed Indian dish.

This recipe makes a ton of Tikka. Get ready for leftovers or if you aren't a leftover fan, you might consider cutting the recipe in half.

The engine that drives the Tikka Masala train is the curry mixture know as Garam Masala. While two spice mixtures are the same, Garam Masala usually contains: black and white peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, cardamon, bay leaf and cumin. Garam means "hot" and Masala means "spice mixture". Real complicated, right? Most large grocery stores have an Indian section where you should be able to find it, but if you live in the Wichita area it's worth a trip to The Spice Merchant & Company.

If you haven't been to The Spice Merchant and you live within an hour of Wichita, get in your car right now. Seriously. Load up the kids and head towards downtown Wichita. The Spice Merchant is a menagerie of spices, teas, coffees and culinary trinkets. A veritable buffet of delectable goodness just waiting to go home with you and to make you kitchen smell incredible! I promise Garam Masala won't be the only thing you leave with.

Sidenote: If you are a serious coffee drinker (read: coffee snob), then this is a must visit location for you. Whole beans from all over the world. Take them home as is or they will grind them right if front of you to your specifications.

Ingredients

1 package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (2-3 lbs) cut into 1" chunks
1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp freshly, finely grated ginger
1 (29 oz) can tomato puree
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (I use Greek)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp Garam Masala (See note above)
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt, or to taste
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-3 tsp cayenne pepper (3 tsp is SPICY - I'd go with 1-1.5 to start)
2 whole bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Long Grain White Rice or Basmati Rice

Naan Bread (Optional - Not really, you MUST have this with the dish!)
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Click here for a PRINTABLE RECIPE.

Chicken Thighs

If you have never cooked with chicken thighs before, after this you will to yourself "where have you been all my life?". Warning: They are DARK meat and therefore contain more fat than say chicken breasts, but fat is flavor and they become moist deliciousness in the world of a crockpot. And the best part... They are cheaper than chicken breasts and probably located right next to them in the meat department. As you can see above, I would use a pair of kitchen shears to trim off any excess fat on the edges of each thigh before you cut them into chunks.

Fresh Ginger

The top piece is what you should look for in the grocery store. It has a tough brownish skin and is very knobby. You will probably find it near the mushrooms. They come in big pieces and and sold by the pound. You DON't have to buy the entire 6" piece. Just snap off a section the size you need (see above) and away you go. At home, use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer skin before grating. If you have a micro-plane, that could work too. Watch your fingers! 

Naan Bread

Naan is a flat bread that is traditionally served as a side dish in Indian cuisine. It is great to use as a "scoop" with curries. I would warm it up in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes before serving. You should be able to find it in your bakery department. Usually its near the tortillas. It is a MUST HAVE with this dish. Trust me. Go get some. 

In your crock pot, add chopped onions, minced garlic, grated ginger, tomato puree, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, Garam Masala, cumin, paprika, salt, cinnamon, pepper and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.

Add diced chicken thighs and mix until they are well coated with sauce. Now add the bay leaves (leave them whole, you are going to remove them later). At this point, you can refrigerate it overnight and start it in the morning or get it cooking now if you are ready.

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.