Slow Cooked Curried Chicken with Cauliflower-From Food Network Kitchens

You'll want to read through the entire recipe (including my suggestions) before you start because there are multiple steps. Don't worry, it's not that difficult, but it's important to have a clear understanding of the recipe before you start. Really, I recommend you read through any recipe before you start.


It might not be the prettiest dinner, but it sure is delicious!



Ingredients:

3T canola oil

6 cloves garlic, minced
2-in. piece fresh ginger, minced

1/3-1/2 c. prepared South Asian curry paste (FNK recommends Patak)

3 c. chicken broth, low-sodium, canned, or homemade
2 c. whole milk plain yogurt
6 bone-in skinless chicken thighs, about 2 1/4 lb.
1 1/2 T kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 lb. red lentils, picked over
1 head cauliflower, broken into large florets
2 (16 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch fresh mint or cilantro leaves, chopped

1 lemon, cut in wedges

Go here to print the recipe and directions. I'm not going to write out all the directions because of all the changes I made to the ones that go with this recipe. If you read all the reviews for this there are quite a few that are rather negative. I followed some of the suggestions people had and it turned out great. Here are my suggestions:

First off, I set the Crock Pot on LOW and cooked it for about 7 hours.

Second, I used masman curry paste. I have red curry paste, but I was concerned it would turn out way too spicy because of how much you use. Looking back, it probably would've been fine but I did enjoy the taste of the masman curry. You can find really good curry paste in Asian food stores. Most grocery stores probably carry red curry paste in the Asian section, but I prefer the Asian market curry paste.

Third, I used a little more chicken stock than called for because some people complained that the finished product was too dry. And I'm glad I did. Just make sure to watch it and add some chicken stock if it looks dry.

Fourth, I used non-fat plain yogurt instead of whole milk. Maybe the finished product would've been creamier, but I'd rather pass on the extra fat. Also, I put it in at the END rather than the beginning. Milk can curdle if you heat it too much. I'm not sure it actually would, but I waited just in case.

Fifth, I used the bone-in skinless chicken thighs it calls for. The bone helps keep the meat super moist and I like the tenderness of the dark meat. If you want to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts I'm sure it would be fine. It is sitting in broth all day so it shouldn't be dry, right?

Sixth, I did use the red lentils. If you can't find them just use what you've got. You will have to adjust when you put them in the Crock Pot depending on what you use. By comparison, red lentils are much thinner than brown. Therefore, they don't take as long to cook. I put them in after about 4 hours of cooking and they still were a little mushy. If you use brown put them in earlier on in the cooking process.

Seventh, I put the cauliflower in about an hour before serving, NOT half way through, and they were perfectly cooked. If you aren't going to be home then just steam the cauliflower right before putting it in.

Eighth, I put the chickpeas in about 20 min before serving. The point is to warm them through.

Ninth, use the fresh mint if you can. It adds a wonderfully unique flavor.

Tenth (and lastly), I served this over Jasmine rice (definitely go with Jasmine rice. It makes a huge difference in my opinion) and had naan on the side. Delicious!

Warning: The recipe says it serves 4-6. Um, I don't think so. I cut the recipe in half this is what was left after we (two adults) were finished eating. Maybe it's because we had it over rice or maybe it's because this is quite filling. It does have lots of protein and fiber in it. 

Sorry for the gross picture, but I wanted to get my point across.

I hope you try this because it really is rather tasty and I promise it's much easier than it initially looks! Happy cooking!