Today was a slow cooker day and I love the blend of spices in Indian tikka masala. It’s not hot spicy, it’s flavorful spicy. If you want hot spicy, you will need to add that in addition to the recipe below, which is one I modified from a January 2012 Real Simple magazine. For one thing, they called for garam masala, which I can never find in the healthy stores near me. They gave directions on how to make it yourself that included allspice, which I don’t like to use, so instead I add my own spices and tikka masala, plus make a lot more sauce.
The chicken is optional in this version – Indian spices are perfect with cauliflower – although the cauliflower was my addition so you could certainly leave it out instead. If you do use chicken, you do not need to cut it up, it will cook apart throughout the day and you will come home to shredded chicken without any additional effort. If you want to go dairy-free, substitute or leave out the cream. Serve over brown basmati or long grain rice.
Slow Cooker Tikka Masala
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 crushed cloves garlic
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 jar tikka masala
1 t cumin
1 t paprika
1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
1/2 C heavy cream
Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, tikka masala, and cauliflower in a crock pot. If you want chicken, place it on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Prepare the rice and just before serving, stir the cream into the tikka masala.
