I often get asked for Indian slow cooker recipes and this particular one is always a big crowd pleaser -- my Slow Cooker Indian Chicken Chili is perfect for those days when you just don’t have the time to make a delicious home cooked meal. For those of you who are unfamiliar with a slow cooker – it is basically an electrical kitchen appliance that cooks food at an extremely low temperature over a period of several hours (low & slow is the key here). So if you’re super busy and just don’t have time to spend in the kitchen, then this is just the recipe for you. This recipe works best in a 3-4 qt size slow cooker.

Feel free to use any type of ground meat in this recipe such as ground turkey or ground lamb. You can also add your favorite vegetables to the chili such as tomatoes, green peppers, carrots or baby corn if you wish.


SLOW COOKER INDIAN CHICKEN CHILI

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken
1 medium onion, finely diced
3-4 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1” piece of ginger, peeled & finely minced
4-5 small green Thai chilies, finely minced (to taste)
pinch of turmeric (haldi)
pinch of smoked Spanish paprika
˝ tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander powder
1 tsp ground cumin powder
1 tsp red chili powder, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
1 (10 ounce size) can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed well
1 (10 ounce size) can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed well
1-1˝ cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock or even water)
2 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola)
freshly chopped chives for garnish

METHOD:

In a large deep skillet on medium high heat, add the oil. When hot, add the onions along with the garlic, ginger & green chilies. Let cook until the onions are translucent & just slightly brown. Then add in the spices (turmeric, smoked Spanish paprika, garam masala, ground coriander powder, ground cumin powder, red chili powder, salt & pepper). Let the spices fry for a few minutes before adding in the ground chicken. Mix well to combine & let cook until the chicken is browned.

Now transfer the mixture to a slow cooker along with both the cannellini & garbanzo beans. Lastly, add in the chicken stock & cook on the low setting for 4 hours. Garnish with the freshly chopped chives & serve with toasted naan or pita wedges.


VARIATIONS:

Feel free to make this dish using chicken pieces instead of ground chicken. Feel free to add your favorite vegetables to the chili such as diced bell peppers, carrots, corn kernels…