Slow Cook

Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken & Mint Curry

by:
July  1, 2012
2 Ratings
Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken & Mint Curry
Photo by James Ransom
Author Notes

When the mercury rises, I turn to my slow cooker. The trick to getting effective results when cooking a curry in a slow cooker is a little bit of supervision, rather than a fix-and-forget approach. This recipe is comforting and a crowd pleaser; tell me what you think once you have given it a shot. This is a catchall recipe, and I sometime add basil with the cilantro to keep it interesting. —Rinku Bhattacharya /Spice Chronicles

Test Kitchen Notes

Creativecooks’ dish is a study of delicious anticipation. Each component adds another layer of flavor and drool-inspiring aroma to the kitchen as you prepare it. First, onion, ginger, garlic and warm spices all get cozy and toasty together. That alone could be mixed with rice and lentils and made into a meal (think mujadarra). But then, it bubbles away in the slow-cooker while you work on the other components, like the cashew cream (make extra because you will be eating a few spoonfuls as—ahem—testers. It’s amazing.) The cashew cream and the chicken go into your cauldron of goodness while you work on the herbs. A smart finish to the dish—do turn off the heat before stirring in the herb paste—this keeps the dish bright and fresh, adding the final perfect note to the creamy stew. —aargersi

  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 3 hours 10 minutes
  • Serves 6
Ingredients
  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 red onion, very finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 4 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into small pieces
  • 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 3/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves
  • 1 large lime, halved
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • 3 green chiles, coarsely chopped
In This Recipe
Tools
Set a Timer
Directions
  1. In a large nonstick skillet or pan heat the oil on medium heat for about 1 minute. Add in the onions and sauté well for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions soften, wilt and begin the turn golden at the edges.
  2. Add in the ginger paste and the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
  3. Add in the cumin and coriander powders and mix well.
  4. Place the entire mixture in a slow cooker, add in the salt, sugar and the tomato and turn the setting on a high.
  5. Let this cook undisturbed for 1 hour on high and add in the chicken and cook for another hour, until the mixture is bubbly and cooking briskly.
  6. Place the sour cream and cashews in a blender and grind until smooth. Then, stir into the chicken and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
  7. Place the mint in a blender, squeeze in the lime juice and add the cilantro and green chilies and grind to a paste.
  8. At this point, the chicken should be soft and the gravy should be a light creamy texture.
  9. Turn off the slow cooker and stir in the herb sauce and mix well. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving.
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