Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
This recipe, adapted from a favorite food blog, offers a delicious and convenient way to enjoy Indian butter chicken without the time commitment of traditional methods. It uses a slow cooker to simplify the process and reduce the number of ingredients.
This recipe, adapted from a favorite food blog, offers a delicious and convenient way to enjoy Indian butter chicken without the time commitment of traditional methods. It uses a slow cooker to simplify the process and reduce the number of ingredients.
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 c. water
- 2 tbsp. salt
- 4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken
- 4 -inch piece of fresh ginger
- 8 garlic
- 1 c. ground almonds
- 1 1/2 c. plain low-fat yogurt
- 2 tsp. red chili powder
- 1 tsp. ground cloves (12 cloves ground in mortar & pestle)
- 2 tsp. garam masala
- 8 green cardamom pods lightly crushed in mortar & pestle
- 5 medium tomatoes chopped
- 2 large onions thinly sliced
- 8 tbsp. ghee or unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 c. fresh cilantro
- 1/2 c. light cream
- Carbohydrate 27.868822370299 g
- Cholesterol 203.598037358583 mg
- Fat 30.5817239108359 g
- Fiber 6.8070659799921 g
- Protein 63.7619075088753 g
- Saturated Fat 14.4209358340786 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (732g)
- Sodium 247.33087817206 mg
- Sugar 21.0617563903069 g
- Trans Fat 2.42412837108889 g
- Calories 634 calories
Step-by-step
- Turn empty slow cooker to high while you prep.
- Wash and cut chicken into 2 ?" strips.
- Don?t cut chicken too small or it will dry out.
- In food processor, grind ginger, garlic and almonds until smooth.
- Pour in water until it is a thick, almost creamy paste.
- In a bowl, use a hand whisk to blend above paste, yogurt, red chili powder, cloves, cinnamon, garam masala, cardamom and salt.
- Gently fold in tomatoes.
- Pour mixture over chicken and mix well.
- Put ghee or butter in slow cooker (which should be hot by now) and allow to melt - about 10 minutes.
- Put in onions and lightly fry, stirring once or twice until softened.
- Add chicken mixture.
- Mix gently but thoroughly.
- Turn slow cooker on low and cook for 6 hours.
- After cooking, add cilantro and cream.
- You can make ? recipe if desired.
Why is the chicken dry? Cutting the meat into strips smaller than two inches exposes too much surface area to direct heat, causing moisture to escape during long cooking cycles. Leaving the pieces larger protects the protein structure. Processing the ginger, garlic, and almonds in a food processor until completely smooth creates a stable emulsified base that thickens the sauce naturally without requiring flour thickeners.
Dairy separation ruins many slow cooker curries. Yogurt curdling happens when high heat hits cold dairy too quickly. Whisking the low-fat yogurt thoroughly with the aromatic paste and spices before combining prevents this protein coagulation. Keeping the appliance on low heat for the six-hour duration maintains a gentle simmer rather than a destructive boil.
Adding cream and fresh cilantro at the very end preserves their delicate volatile compounds. Stirring dairy in too early degrades the fat emulsion, resulting in an oily surface layer. Fresh herbs lose their bright green color and pungency if subjected to six hours of thermal degradation.
Leftovers develop deeper complexity after twenty-four hours in the refrigerator. Flavors meld as the ground almonds continue hydrating in the sauce. Reheat portions gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching the bottom of the pan.
