Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken

I love Indian food.  I try to make it often, but I really need to make it more than I have been!  I'm not a fan of super hot, burn-your-mouth Indian food, but enjoy the warm, spicy (not heat-wise) flavors it has to offer.  I just love all of the spices together. 

I found this Indian Butter Chicken on Allrecipes, and it was very good, and quite easier than other Butter Chicken recipes I've tried.  I don't think it necessarily needs crockpot cooking, but it is convenient if you will not be home to make dinner.  Next time I make this, I think I will skip the crockpot (just making sure I cook my chicken all the way on the stove!)  Like I said, I liked the crockpot cooking, but 1)  The smell was teasing me all day- it smelled SO GOOD and I wanted it now; I did not want to wait for dinner!  2)  The spices lost some of their strength cooking all day, but I just added a bit more before serving  3)The coconut milk kinda separated- you can see it in the photo.  It still tasted SO good though, and I used light coconut milk, so that might have been a factor.  When I first added the coconut milk, it was so creamy and smooth- so I want to serve it right away next time. 

I waited to add the yogurt right before serving, since that is the general rule with dairy and crock-pot cooking.  This made a LOT of sauce- which is great, because I love sauce!  I had to make more rice to go with the leftovers the next day.  My kids loved this meal too- they love all the Indian food I've made.  We had this with brown rice, grilled naan bread, and steamed green beans.  This would have been great (and more colorful) with some fresh cilantro- I will have that on hand next time.  I used very thick, rich Greek yogurt, and found that I did not need the full 1 cup.  I would start with 1/2 cup and see what that is like, and then add more to taste.  It was very creamy already from the coconut milk.

Other Indian Recipes I've made that you should try :)  I plan on making some veggie Indian lentils soon:
Chicken Korma (LOVE this!!!)
Chicken Tikka Masala (Love this as well!)
Chicken Vindaloo (good, but not as creamy rich since there is no cream or yogurt!)

Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
adapted from Allrecipes

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon curry paste (optional- I didn't have this, and it is usually very spicy anyway)
2-3 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
15 green cardamom pods or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1/2 to 1 cup plain yogurt; add to taste
salt to taste

1.Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, optional curry paste, garam masala, ginger, and tomato paste until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Pour into a slow cooker, and stir in the cardamom pods (or ground cardamom), and coconut milk.

2.Cook on High 4 to 6 hours, or on Low 6 to 8 hours until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency.  Taste, and add salt if needed.  Remove and discard the cardamom pods (if using) before serving.  Stir in yogurt.

(For stovetop cooking- just continue cooking everything in the large skillet until chicken is cooked through and tender.  Add yogurt and cook until heated through; then serve). 

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