Slow Cooker Takeaway-Style Chicken Tikka Masala

Source video by adamcantcook on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

Adam Can't Cook's restaurant-style chicken tikka masala adapted from a multi-stage hob recipe into a slow cooker job. The original uses a separate hour-simmered curry base; this version builds the same flavour straight into the slow cooker by softening four onions with garlic, ginger, coriander stalks and ground spices in oil first, then sending it all to the pot with passata and coconut milk for 4 hours on Low. Boneless chicken breast is marinated in tandoori masala (with the cook's signature drop of red food colouring), roasted hot in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes for char, then folded in for the last 30 minutes. Double cream and a squeeze of lemon at the end. Serves 4 with basmati rice or naan.

Ingredients

• 2boneless chicken breasts, ideally dry-brined overnight with salt; cut into bite-size pieces
• 3.5 tbspvegetable oil
• 2 tbsptandoori masala powder
• salt, a pinch
• red food colouring, a few drops

• 1onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2garlic cloves, peeled, 1 chopped fine, 1 minced for the final cooking stage
• 2.5 cmfresh ginger, peeled, half chopped fine, half minced for the final stage
• fresh coriander stalks, finely chopped (reserve leaves to finish)
• 60 mlvegetable oil, for sweating the base

• 1 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground cumin
• ground turmeric, a pinch
• 1 tbsptandoori masala powder, for the final spice bloom
• 0.5 tspKashmiri chilli powder
• 0.5 tsppaprika
• ground black pepper, a few cracks

• 200 gtinned chopped tomatoes
• 60 mlpassata
• 300 mlwater
• 200 mlcoconut milk
• 1 tbspsoft brown sugar

• 60 mldouble cream (add late)
• lemon juice, a few squeezes (add late)
• fresh coriander leaves, chopped

• basmati rice, cooked separately on the hob
• naan or chapati, warmed

Method

1. If you can plan ahead, season the chicken breasts generously with salt and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight (dry brine). On the day, drain off any surface moisture.

   ~5 min

2. Heat the oven to 200°C. Mix 3.5 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 tbsp tandoori masala, a pinch of salt and a few drops of red food colouring in a bowl. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces, dip each in the marinade for a thin coat, and lay on a roasting tray.

   ~8 min

3. Roast the chicken tikka in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until charred at the edges and just cooked through. Set aside.

   ~20 min

4. While the chicken cooks, heat 60 ml vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sweat for 6 minutes until soft.

   ~6 min

5. Add the fine-chopped garlic, ginger and coriander stalks. Cook for 2 minutes.

   ~2 min

6. Add the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, tandoori masala (1 tbsp), Kashmiri chilli, paprika, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Stir constantly for 30 seconds.

   ~1 min

7. Tip the spiced base into the slow cooker. Stir in the tinned tomatoes, passata, water, coconut milk and brown sugar.

   ~2 min

8. Lid on. Cook on Low for 3 hours 30 minutes (or High 2 hours).

   ~210 min

9. Fold the cooked chicken tikka through the curry. Replace the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes on Low.

   ~30 min

10. Stir in the double cream and a few squeezes of lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt and sugar.

    ~1 min

11. Serve over basmati rice (or with naan), garnished with fresh coriander leaves.

    ~2 min

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