Sloooooow Cooker Curry and the Slow Cooker Challenge

• January 17, 2012  |
• by The Family Dinner

There are many reasons to love winter – mittens, snowmen and sledding all come to mind! But on a cold day nothing makes us feel as warm and cozy as gathering around the table to share a meal that has been cooking all day, filling the house with the inviting smells of a dinner made slowly, with love.

While it’s wonderful to spend a quiet Sunday tending to a delicious dish, we don’t always have the time to do so, which is why we love the slow cooker! Just a little prep in the morning and that evening, whether you’ve been running errands on Saturday or coming home from a long day of work on Wednesday, a delicious meal awaits you and your family.

The Family Dinner is excited to share our love of the slow cooker by partnering with the Naptime Chef & Small Kitchen College for the first-ever Slow Cooker Challenge!

Please visit the Naptime Chef for all things slow-cooking – tips, tricks and recipes, including our very own Sloooooow Cooker Curry below, as well as the chance to win your very own slow cooker!

As Josh Viertel, president of Slow Food USA says, “Slow food is an idea – a way of living and a way of eating. Slow food helps you realize that your health, your kids’ health, your community’s health, and nature’s health are all tied together – and food is the common thread.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

SLOOOOOOW COOKER CURRY

YOU NEED:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 red onion, cut into wedges
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon very finely minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder, hot or mild
1⁄2 cinnamon stick
3 whole cardamom pods or 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
1 14-ounce can good-quality crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound small red potatoes, unpeeled, cut bite-size
1 whole organic chicken, 4–5 pounds, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed (you can get the butcher to do this for you)
1 cup Greek yogurt, whole or 2 percent
1 cup fresh or defrosted frozen peas

TO MAKE 6 SERVINGS:

Heat up a large nonstick pan and drizzle in the oil. When it shimmers, add the onion and sauté until soft and golden. Add the garlic and spices, stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant, then stir in the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (You can do this the night before: Chill the sauce, add the potatoes and chicken, and store in the fridge until you are ready to cook.)

Pull your slow cooker out from wherever it lives. Rinse it out. Put the potatoes on the bottom, then top with the chicken and the tomato sauce you just made. Set the cooker to low for 6 to 8 hours. Half an hour before serving, fold in the yogurt and peas, and taste for seasonings . . . Does it need a little more salt? A pinch of curry?

Serve with basmati rice, naan bread, and a side of chutney.