How we came up with this recipe

Korma is originally South Asian dish, where meat was cooked with yoghurt or stock.

Here I’ve taken inspiration from the Chicken Korma style of Indian takeaways in Britain, which almost always include a thick sauce and nuts.

(If you’d like to try a more authentic recipe, take a look at this one by Tea For Tumeric, which has an ‘unapologetically long list of whole spices’ and looks totally delicious.)

We tested this recipe with a few variations. We originally used more curry powder and also added turmeric for colour, but in that version we felt that the spice was too strong for a korma, and also, as chicken breasts cook quite quickly, the spices felt quite uncooked when the chicken was cooked through.

We didn’t want to add an extra step of browning the spices if we could help it so we reduced the spice level.

We also tried this with chicken thighs, and while fine, it just wasn’t quite similar enough to the takeaway version we were trying to create at home with a slow cooker.

FAQs

About Red Lentil Dahl

Dahl (or ‘dal) is very much part of the culinary DNA of India. The word means ‘split pulse’ (lentils, peas, chickpeas and beans), and while there are many variations and recipes for different types of dahl in its country of origin, the name tends to refer to any lentil based curry.

I love this article in The Better India that goes into detail about the history and origins of the dahl.

Traditionally you would use the process of ‘tarka’ if you’re cooking Tarka Dahl, which you can always try if you have a little extra time.

A ‘tarka’ is the process of frying spices in a hot oil before adding them to a dish. This releases flavours from the spices. You then pour this over your Dahl as the ultimate seasoning.

Slow Cooker Dahl Ingredientsn notes

• Onions, garlic and ginger – Fresh or frozen for these ingredients is fine if you prefer them to fresh
• Curry paste – Use what you have or whichever one you prefer
• Red lentils – These should be the dry type, in a bag
• Coconut milk – I use reduced fat but it’s up to you
• Butternut squash – Fresh or frozen chunks is totally fine
• Vegetable stock – Read notes on the recipe below on quantities
• Paneer – Large chunks to serve. If you can’t find this Indian cheese, halloumi would also work well

More vegetarian curries…

Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry {Chana Saag}

Vegetarian

Halloumi Curry {30 Minute Meal}

Comfort Food

Easy Butternut Squash Curry {Ready in 30 Minutes}

Slow Cooker

Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry {SO Easy!}

FAQs

About this recipe

I love this article in The Culture Trip, which talks about the origins of ‘Britain’s unofficial national dish’ and its apparent links to Glasgow, for many believe that the Chicken Tikka Masala is actually a British version of a curry which perhaps never existed in South Asia, or at least is an adaptation of an authentic dish that travelled many miles. 

One thing is for sure, and that’s that no matter what form it comes in and what recipe you use, it remains one of our very favourites. And that’s because it’s so bloomin’ delicious.

I feature plenty of curry recipes that are popular, but I couldn’t resist making my own version of a classic, and making it as easy as possible.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala Ingredients notes

• Chicken breasts – Chop this skinless, boneless meat into bite-sized pieces
• Onion – You’ll need one or about 160g/6oz if you’re using pre-chopped frozen from a pack
• Chopped tomatoes – Tinned ones are fine
• Garlic puree – Use about 3 cloves if you’re using fresh
• Tikka curry paste – Or tikka masala curry paste, but NOT regular curry sauce
• Mango chutney – I love the Geeta’s brand for lots of flavour
• Garam masala – We’re going to add this in before serving
• Creme fraiche – I used half fat in this. DO NOT overheat the creme fraiche or it will curdle. I used around 100ml, however if you want a more creamy sauce feel free to add more. If you don’t want to buy a whole pot you could leave this out, however it does give that classic Chicken Tikka Masala tang

How to make Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

1. Put all of the slow cook ingredients into the slow cooker pan and cook according to the recipe at the bottom of this page.

2. Just before serving, stir in garam masala, mango chutney and creme fraiche.

Substitutions

• Chicken – You could use chicken boneless skinless thighs instead here, but they may need additional cooking time.

FAQs

Slow Cooker Lamb Curry Ingredients notes

• Lamb – Any cut that’s suitable for slow cooking. I used lean leg steaks to reduce the fat, but it’s not as tender as shoulder or leg. Your preference
• Onion, garlic and ginger – Fresh or pre-chopped frozen is OK if you’d prefer a no-chop shortcut
• Curry paste – You can use your favourite kind for this as they all work well. See notes below for more on this ingredient
• Extra spices – Garam masala and cumin give this an additional depth of flavour
• Lamb stock – Cubes is fine for this
• Butternut squash – I use pre-prepared frozen for this recipe, but you can use fresh too
• Mango chutney – To serve (this is optional)

How to make Slow Cooker Lamb Curry

1. Put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker (apart from the mango chutney).
2. Cook for 4-5 hours on HIGH or 6-7 hours on LOW.
3. Before serving, stir through the mango chutney.

FAQs