Since first tasting Indian food at Ashoka, now one of my favorite restaurants in the Metro Detroit area, I have fallen DEEP in love with curry. This bright yellow spice is not only vibrant in color but also in flavor, giving each dish a savory, warm and comforting appeal.
Even though I have seen curry as a commonly sold spice, to me it just seemed so exotic and frankly, I was intimidated by it. But recently a friend of mine, who is an energetic Zumba instructor, made me a very simple chicken salad that BLEW MY MIND. Her secret? She coated the chicken in a light curry sauce that took this regular old salad to a whole new level of awesomeness. And do you know what she told me? She puts curry in EVERYTHING.
So, of course, I had to rush right out and pick up a jar of curry powder for myself to experiment with at home. And guess what? Since buying and trying the spice in my kitchen, I've been putting curry on EVERYTHING. #GoFigure
Due to my hectic schedule, I utilize my slow cooker A LOT. I insist on preparing quality meals for myself and my husband but before I learned to handle my own in the kitchen, this insistence often resulted in me getting worked up and stressed out.
Before initiating my Busy Girl Life strategies, I used to come home on a weeknight after a long day of work just to spend even more time prepping and cooking an array of fresh ingredients for dinner (plus lunch the next day!) But then one day, the light bulb turned on and that reasonable little voice inside my head shouted, "HELLO!! Woman, you have a Crock Pot!" To which I replied, "Oh, yeah!!"
I had received a Crock Pot as a wedding gift (I don't remember who from but thank you, Mystery Person!) but before I figured out how to simplify my time in the kitchen, I just never really used it. After my epiphany my slow cooker, once a very neglected appliance, steadily became kitchen machinery I could not live without. #StressRelief !
For this recipe, I chose to cook the quinoa separate from the chicken because I wanted the quinoa to be it's own dish. But if you prefer, you can certainly just toss the quinoa right into the slow cooker with everything else. You don't even need to add the corn or avocado as I did. Just use my recipe as a guideline and make this meal your own!
Curry Chicken in the Crock Pot
I chose to use frozen chicken thighs on the bone because they're what I had on hand. You can use whatever cut of chicken you like, either frozen or fresh.
Ingredients:
- 4-6 chicken thighs, bone in/skin on
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 cups (16 oz.) of either diced tomatoes or your favorite chunky tomato sauce
- 1/2 to 1 cup water
Place the chicken in the slow cooker and add the water and tomato sauce (or diced tomatoes if you went this route). Cover the chicken with as much of the tomato sauce as possible. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the curry, cumin, salt and pepper. Place the lid on the Crock Pot and set cooking time to either LOW/8 HOURS or HIGH/4 HOURS.
Once the chicken is fully cooked you can serve immediately. Be sure to scoop out and COVER that baby in the yummy sauce!
If you choose to serve quinoa as your side dish, then continue and read on!
Quinoa with Sweet Corn & Avocado
You can add anything you want to your quinoa or simply serve it plain. The sweet corn and avocado combo, however, complemented the savory curry chicken very well.
Ingredients:
- 1 & 1/2 cup quinoa (I chose red grains but any color or combination will work)
- 2 cups water
- one 15 to 16 oz. can sweet corn, DO NOT DRAIN
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil OR about 2 teaspoons dry basil
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 avocado, diced (do not add avocado until end)
If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, you can find quinoa there for an excellent price!
If not, check your local grocery in the section where they sell rice and other grains OR their "all natural foods" section.
Add the quinoa, water, can of sweet corn INCLUDING its juices, basil, olive oil, curry, cumin, salt and pepper to your pan. (So pretty much EVERYTHING but the avocado.) Cover your pan and bring contents to a boil. Keeping the quinoa covered, reduce heat to medium-low, stir every few minutes, and allow quinoa to fully cook, about 10 - 15 minutes.
Once quinoa is fully cooked, remove from heat and fold in the diced avocado. Serve it up and watch it disappear off everyone's plate!
If you are serving the quinoa along side your curry chicken, ladle some of that delicious sauce over top! Seriously, I could DRINK that stuff.
Leave That Busy Girl a COMMENT!
I want YOUR feedback on this recipe!
Did you try it? Did you tweak it?
What were your results?
ALSO:
When was the first time you fell
in love with curry?
What other ways do you prepare quinoa?
Leave YOUR COMMENTS below
and SHARE this recipe with anyone
you know whose CURRY OBSESSION
is rival to mine (or yours!)
xoxo,
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